Choose your ski line to avoid cross loaded terrain features in the alpine where a small windslab avalanche could occur.
Weather Forecast
Snow flurries are expected in the icefields area through Monday with very little accumulation. This will translate to light showers in the valley bottoms. Cloudy skies with occasional sunny periods and scattered snow flurries will carry on through the week with more snow accumulating in the icefields area.
Snowpack Summary
A supportive mid pack consisting of rounded and facetted layers is bridging the weak depth hoar/facet layers that make up the lower snowpack. Some wind slabs are developing in sheltered alpine locations on various aspects from recent NW to SW winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Tuesday
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.