Meow is not the time to be bold. Excellent creamy riding can be found on most moderate and low angle terrain.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries on Monday. Moderate SW ridge top winds. Remaining relatively cool with forecasted alpine temperatures, -3 to -10.
Snowpack Summary
The main concern in the snowpack at tree-line and above is the deep persistent slab over weak facet layer at ground. This slab can be triggered by travelers from shallow or weak locations or naturally from large loads such as cornice failure or windslab avalanches. All steep loaded slopes that have not recently avalanched should be avoided.
Avalanche Summary
A size 3 skier accidental slab avalanche was reported Saturday afternoon north of the Icefields on a NE aspect at tree-line. Cycle continues, especially in the Alpine where new wind load is triggering deep slabs and cornice triggered slabs on North through West aspects, up to size 3 observed in field work today.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.