Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Low danger means "small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain". We expect these areas to be south and west facing slopes in the afternoon, as well as open alpine slopes with shallow snowpack treeline and above.
Weather Forecast
A NW flow over BC and Alberta is keeping the air cool with no significant precipitation expected in the next few days. Highs for Thursday of -9 with light winds and a mix of sun and clouds. Clear skies and sun result in strong solar radiation this time of year, so pay attention to the snowpack if the sun is shining on it.
Snowpack Summary
A textbook Rockies snowpack exists, comprised of weak facets and depth hoar near the base overlain with a 40-60 cm stiff slab of snow. No significant snow over the past few days and a cooling trend has minimized any surface instabilities. Triggering is unlikely except in open, shallow snowpack areas and steep south facing slopes in the afternoon.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported today.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.