Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Beautiful weather and warm temperatures in the alpine. Climbers should take note on sunny climbs as the hazard could increase during the day. Forecasters still have lower confidence in thin snowpack areas due to the basal weak layer. SH
Weather Forecast
Inverted temperatures will continue through to Saturday night when temperatures will drop at all elevations. Expect alpine temperatures to approach 0C Saturday with a strong solar component. A light Northerly flow is expected for the next few days with no precipitation.
Snowpack Summary
Vermillion study plot (W of divide in a deeper snowpack area) near treeline showed no results in compression tests. HS 140cm. Inversion starting at treeline causing moist snow on solar aspects above the fog line. Surface hoar to 12mm growing in sheltered areas. In thin snowpack areas, biggest concern is triggering basal depth hoar/crust.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed in the last 24 hours.
Problems
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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.