Dry snow and no wind should make for good skiing on Monday! Forecast wind speeds are still uncertain. Consider wind affected terrain to be one step higher than posted danger ratings.
Confidence
Low - Wind speed and direction is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Monday: Mostly cloudy; clearing in the afternoon. / Light to moderate westerly winds / High of -17 C.Tuesday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light westerly winds / High of -17 C.Wednesday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light westerly winds / High of -16 C.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported in this region, however, this may change if wind speeds increase and create touchy soft slabs.
Snowpack Summary
Much of the region received 10-15 cm of new snow with locally higher amounts (30-40 cm) around Fernie. So far this new snow has fallen with no wind and made for great skiing. If winds increase, expect touchy soft slabs to form in wind affected terrain. This new snow is sitting on top of a mixture of surface hoar and weak surface facets. The mid pack is reported to be well settled. There is sufficient snow on the ground for avalanches at treeline and alpine elevations, and possibly in some below treeline locations. Reports suggest typical treeline snow depths are around 110-150 cm, but a report from the east side of region indicated a much lower snow depth of around 90 cm. Limited reports suggest the crust from the middle of November is down 50-80 cm and the crust from early November is down 80-110 cm.
Problems
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.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.