Expect sluffing in steep terrain. Manage your ski line with this in mind.
Weather Forecast
Saturday to Monday will be very light snow. 4cm may arrive Sunday night with slight increase in wind speed and remain SW. Temperatures will range from -5 to -14. Other than light snow Sunday evening, no significant weather expected as far out as Wednesday.
Snowpack Summary
Pockets of wind slab can be found in exposed terrain tree line and above. These pockets are sitting on a weak layer of facets. The mid-pack remains supportive but continues to facet. Light snowfall is burying the well developed surface hoar and will become something to watch for into the future or if buried under the windslab.
Avalanche Summary
Reports of small size 0.5 loose dry avalanches on steep terrain along the Icefields Parkway today 48 hours old. Visibility was poor Friday.
Problems
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.
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.