Remember to use good travel habits this weekend and watch for isolated areas with unstable snow.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Flurries starting in the afternoon with 2-4 cm of new snow, light west winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.SUNDAY: Scattered flurries with 2-4 cm of new snow, light winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.MONDAY: Another 2-4 cm in the morning then clearing, light winds, alpine temperatures around -12 C.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, several small size 1 wind slabs were skier triggered on isolated wind loaded features and above the mid-February crust. Widespread sluffing was reported in the new snow. A size 2.5 cornice failure on a east aspect in the Selkirks did not trigger a slab on the slope below. Small avalanches in the new snow remain the primary concern over the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The the mid-February interface is now buried 20-40 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Although recent reports suggest the snow is gradually bonding to this interface, it has produced some sudden snowpack test results and reactive ski cuts. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas.
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.