Warmer temperatures are on the way. Although it is forecast to be cloudy for most of the region Friday, watch locally for the effect of the sun as this could increase the avalanche danger in steep, sunny terrain.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy in Little Yoho with a few cm over the day. Winds will stay mainly light from the West and temperatures will reach 0C at valley bottom and remain freezing in the alpine. A further 5-10cm is expected on Friday with increasing winds followed by clearing and a warming trend through the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Very little wind effect overall except in the high alpine. Some sun crust on some steep solar aspects is starting to form. 10-20 cm of storm snow sits over a firm mid-pack. The Jan surface hoar layers down 100-150 cm are rounding and inactive in tests. In shallow areas the deeper facet layers remain weak but are currently dormant.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed or reported in the Little Yoho area on Wednesday.
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.