Avalanches can be expected from the alpine over the next 24 hours. The best powder snow can be found in the Icefields on low angle terrain at treeline.
Weather Forecast
Up to 15cm of new snow is forecast for upper elevation in the next 24 hours. At lower elevations this will fall as rain up to midnight then turning to snow. Freezing levels will increase to treeline. Winds will be highly variable ranging from light and NE in the East to strong and Westerly in the Icefields area.
Snowpack Summary
Soft slabs are forming in the Alpine under the influence of moderate to strong Westerly winds. 30cm of new snow has fallen in the past 24 hours in the Columbia Icefields area. At Treeline soft slabs exist in isolated terrain near ridges. On solar slopes, at Treeline and below this snow is sitting over a crust which is up to 5cm thick.
Avalanche Summary
Poor visibility and flat light has obscured observations from the alpine but numerous piles of avalanche debris have been observed in runouts along highway 93. This indicates that an avalanche cycle is underway with numerous size 2 or 2.5 avalanches occurring in the alpine. At lower elevations loose point releases of size 1 were observed.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Friday
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.