Ski quality is a bit challenging right now.
Weather Forecast
Thursday will be scattered flurries, 1-5cm, -11 degrees Celsius, and 10-25km/hr North winds. Friday will be sun and cloud, no precipitation, -20, and generally light Northerly winds. Saturday will be much the same as Friday except for some gusting Northerly winds at ridgetops.
Snowpack Summary
Small amounts of new snow cover a variety of wind affected surfaces and rocks. Midpack layers are unreactive in field tests. Recent winds have formed some isolated pockets of windslab in exposed areas at upper elevations.
Avalanche Summary
No patrol occurred Wednesday and nothing reported. No natural activity observed by field team in Columbia Icefield Area on Tuesday. Minimal sloughing and very isolated pockets of soft slab triggered by ski cutting 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.