Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Watch for new windslabs in open lee areas. Increased load on the deep persistent instability may result in a full depth avalanche.
Weather Forecast
10 to 15 cm of snow and strong winds are forecast for the area. This should raise the avalanche danger rating in the short term.
Snowpack Summary
In the alpine and at treeline, increasing snowfall and steady winds will create new windslab in open areas. At the bottom of the snowpack large facets with disintegrating raincrust provides a base that is prone to collapse. Below treeline, a solid shallow snowpack will take a while to bond to new snow.
Avalanche Summary
No natural avalanche activity was noted.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
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 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.