Continued warm temperatures with clear, sunny skies will create a wet loose problem particularly on solar slopes.
There is some uncertainty around whether continued warm temperatures will reactivate the deep persistent layer.
New wind slabs have been formed by recent snow and SW winds. These will be found in lee features and sit above a weak layer of facets or surface hoar.
Warm temperatures and clear skies are likely to produce a wet loose avalanche cycle on sunny South East to South West aspects.
This problem is low probability but high consequence as it would be releasing near the ground. Be extra cautious where snowpack goes from thick to thin areas. We have not seen avalanches on this layer for a while but there is a chance it might become reactive again with the warm temperatures.
Numerous size 1 wet loose avalanches were observed below treeline along the Icefields parkway on February 4th. Explosives work in the alpine at Medicine Lake produced no significant results on February 3rd.
There is moist snow to mountaintop on solar aspects and likely close to mountaintop on polar aspects. A weak layer of surface hoar and facets is down ~10cm, which is most problematic in areas with wind loading.
In open areas, recent winds have redistributed the new snow into windslabs. The midpack is still supportive, but a weaker, faceted layer lingers above the ground, creating a deep, persistent slab.
Wednesday Night
Clear with cloudy periods.
Precipitation: Nil.
Ridge wind light to 20 km/h.
Freezing level: 2500 metres.
Thursday
Sunny
Precipitation: Nil.
Ridge wind light to 10 km/h.
Freezing level: 3100 metres.
