There is plenty of snow to create avalanche problems at upper elevations. Be prepared with the proper equipment and a winter mindset if you are heading in to the alpine.
Weather Forecast
A frontal system passing through on Wednesday will bring strong SW winds, and up to 10 cm of snowfall at treeline and in the alpine (rain below treeline).An upper level ridge will build in the wake of this system giving increasingly clear skies and warming temperatures in to the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
The start of our winter snowpack is developing above 2000m, snow depths range from 50-100+ cm in the Columbia Icefields region. Several days of strong SW winds have stripped many exposed areas down to bare ground or the supportive crust near the base of the snowpack. These winds also continue to build windslabs in lee terrain.
Avalanche Summary
Loose dry avalanches up to size 1 occurred in alpine lees today with ongoing windloading. Loose wet avalanches up to size 1 were triggered on S aspects at treeline today with daytime warming. Naturally triggered windslabs up to size 2.0 have occurred on alpine E aspects in the past 24-48hrs.