Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
A brief storm this evening and overnight will create touchy storm slabs in the alpine.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures will drop with the passing of this storm front, bringing moderate to strong NW winds on Thursday. Unsettled conditions will result in squalls, delivering light amounts of snow.
Snowpack Summary
In the ALP and TL, recent storms have previously deposited 10-30 cm of snow which sits on top of suncrusts on solar aspects and facetted snow on polar aspects. Windslabs exist in immediate lee features in the alpine, and are developing with the current strong SW winds. The addition of up to 10-20cm of snow tonight will create touchy storm slabs.
Avalanche Summary
Yesterday, a field team in the White Pyramid area on the 93N remote triggered a small, thin windslab of little consequence in the alpine today. Reports indicate increased winds were causing numerous loose dry avalanches out of steep alpine terrain. We expect a natural avalanche cycle to occur during the peak of the storm tonight.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.