Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Although the danger ratings are LOW, we are close to making them MODERATE because it's likely that people will trigger sluffs in steep terrain at treeline and below. While not big avalanches, they can wash over you. Manage your exposure carefully.
Weather Forecast
No significant snowfall expected over the next 24-hours, just trace amounts of new snow, temperatures ranging from -5 to -15, and moderate (40+ km/hr) westerly winds at higher elevations. This pattern looks to remain mostly unchanging over the next few days.
Snowpack Summary
Another 5 cm overnight brings the total storm snow over the last week to 15 cm. This fluff has been blown into isolated windslabs near high alpine ridge crests. Meanwhile, the overall snowpack continues to become weaker from the facetting process, and in some areas you can now break through to the ground in weak snow.
Avalanche Summary
Lake Louise ski hill reported small windslabs from 20-40 cm deep formed overnight, and our field team today triggered sluffs in steep (40+ degree) south facing glades. Do not underestimate the power of the sluffs that are running these days; they are made of dense facets, and what might seem like a small volume can easily knock you off your feet.
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.