10-20 cm of light new snow arrived Jan 27th with cold temperatures and North winds are reverse loading terrain. Allow the snowpack to adjust to these changes.
Moderate north winds at ridge top are creating wind slabs on Southerly slopes which don't typically see wind loading. The wind slabs from previous moderate to strong SW winds are also still present.
The new low density snow will be sluffing out of steep terrain especially if there is a trigger like strong direct sun.
The bottom of the snow pack is inherently weak with well developed Facets and Depth Hoar. Avalanches initiating in the upper snowpack are likely to step down to this layer and gain significant mass.
10 to 20cm of new snow from Jan 27th overlies a melt-freeze crust up to 2000m. Steady moderate north winds at ridge top are creating windslabs. Generally, the bottom is a weak facetted snowpack. The snowpack ranges from 50 to 120cm.
Sunday is to be cold, clear, and dry. Monday - Wednesday will bring clouds and sun, slightly warmer temperature, and light to moderate Northerly winds.
Detailed weather forecasts from Avalanche Canada: https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast
No field patrol occurred on Saturday and nothing new reported. Wednesday-Thursday snowballing and loose wet activity was noted on steep west aspects near Weeping Wall. Thursday a large avalanche was observed in the Icefields starting in the Alpine, running on deep facets, and travelled far below treeline.
Don't forget to post avalanche observations to the MIN.
