Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The skiing is good however careful terrain selection remains critical right now to avoid triggering the deep persistent slab.
Weather Forecast
Cold nights overnight Sunday and Monday with a bit of cloud lingering with light winds. Watch for West winds to pick up on Tuesday with snow likely for the end of the day through Friday combined with a temperature increase.
Snowpack Summary
There is 15-25 cm of low density storm snow at tree line with a thin rain-crust below the storm snow at lower elevations. Some wind effect exists in the Alpine. Common throughout the region are the weak facets and depth hoar in the lower half of the snowpack, particularly at lower elevations and east of the divide.
Avalanche Summary
The ski hills have been working small windslabs isolated to the immediate lees of the last two days. Two size 2.5 natural avalanches were observed Friday on E-SE aspects in the alpine on Mount Ball and Mount Brett. Both appeared to scrub down to the ground.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
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.