Confidence
Fair - Wind speed and direction is uncertain on Tuesday
Weather Forecast
A mix of sun and cloud are expected for the forecast period. Winds are forecast to be mainly moderate to strong from the northeast. Alpine temperatures should hover between -20 and -25 for Tuesday and Wednesday with some very slight warming on Thursday.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, isolated pillows of wind slab formed in the immediate lee of ridge crests and were reactive to the weight of a skier. Ongoing wind slab activity is expected with forecast moderate to strong winds.
Snowpack Summary
Generally light amounts of recent snow overlie well developed surface hoar (which seems most prevalent west of Crowsnest Pass), old, unreactive wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. In some parts of the region the recent accumulations have been shifted by moderate winds into soft wind slabs.Weak faceted snow exists in the mid or lower snowpack (depending where you are in the region). Although these weaknesses still appear in some snowpack tests, avalanches at this interface have become unlikely to trigger.
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.