Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The beautiful weather will continue through the week, but it gradually warms up and Friday looks to be sunny and above freezing. Conditions are great, but watch out for small windslabs which have formed in isolated areas this week.
Weather Forecast
A strong ridge of high pressure will dominate the region over the new few days, with blue skies and calm winds. Temperatures on Wednesday will range from -5 to -15 and will warm through the week and Friday will reach above freezing. No new snow is expected.
Snowpack Summary
A well settled snowpack with few weaknesses exists throughout the region. Isolated wind slabs up to size 1.5 exist on leeward slopes at treeline and above from recent wind effect. Below 2000m, the Dec 3 layer of surface hoar remains visible and produces hard, planar test results in some areas but has not been reactive to skier traffic.
Avalanche Summary
One size 1.5 natural slab avalanche was observed at 2100 m in an avalanche path above the Sunshine Village parking lot. Trigger is unknown, but we speculate a piece of cornice perhaps.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.