Expect snowfall and strong winds on Thursday, which will load a touchy weak layer buried 50 to 100 cm deep. Treat the danger as HIGH if you find more than 20 cm accumulation. It is a good day to stick to low-angled slopes without overhead exposure.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy. THURSDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 15 cm, strong southwest winds, alpine temperature -1°c, freezing level rising to 1600m over the day. FRIDAY: Partly cloudy, moderate west winds, alpine temperature -8°c, freezing level 1000m. SATURDAY: Partly cloudy, moderate southwest winds, alpine temperature -9 °c, freezing level valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
Large (size 2 to 3) slab avalanches were triggered naturally, by skiers, and explosives on Tuesday and Wednesday. The avalanches were generally 50 to 70 cm deep and either within the storm snow or on the weak layer described in the snowpack discussion.
Snowpack Summary
Around 50 to 100 cm of recent storm snow overlies a weak layer of feathery surface hoar, sugary facets, and variable crusts. Avalanche activity, remote triggering, and snowpack test results tell us that it is a critical layer. It is best to travel extremely cautiously with this layer in the snowpack.Lower in the snowpack, previous weak layers from November appear inactive. These deeper layers could possibly cause problems on north-facing slopes at high elevations where the snowpack is thin.
mconlan,
Avalanche Canada
