Wind affected snow is the main concern for Friday. Seek out sheltered areas where new snow hasn't been redistributed into wind slabs.
Weather Forecast
Thursday night: Cloudy with clear periods and isolated flurries with a trace of new snow. Strong southwest winds.Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. Moderate southwest winds easing over the day. Alpine high temperatures around -10.Saturday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Light southwest or west winds. Alpine high temperatures around -10.Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud with decreasing cloud. Light southwest or west winds. Alpine high temperatures around -8.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday. One small (size 1) slab and a few loose dry avalanches were triggered in steep terrain on Monday. A few size 1 wind slab avalanches were triggered by skiers over the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
New wind slabs will form in Alpine and possibly treeline areas with light new snow amounts and strong winds in the forecast for Thursday night.Cold temperatures have transformed most of the snowpack into weaker faceted snow with few if any distinct layers, with the exception of alpine terrain where hard wind slabs and wind pressed snow are found.In deep snowpack areas, you may find a slab sitting above a layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried in mid-January and is now 30-60 cm deep. The layer is most prominent in the Elk Valley between 1600 m and 1900 m, but no recent avalanche activity has been reported on this layer.
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.