Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Good skiing can be found in sheltered locations below 2500m. Just remember, the snowpack thins out below 1750m. Rocks, stumps, and buried hazards are still lurking near the surface.
Weather Forecast
A minor blip in the current trend will bring moderate to strong SW winds tomorrow, with possible afternoon/evening flurries amounting to 1-3cm. Temperatures will remain at seasonal values in the alpine (-10 to -14). Winds should die down to moderate on Sunday with little in the way of precipitation.
Snowpack Summary
Variable surface wind slabs have been found in immediate lee ridge features, as well as open terrain above 2800m. In sheltered locations, very good skiing can be found from 2500m to as low as 1750m. Lower than that and things get a bit thin . A well-settled mid-pack sits atop the Nov 6 rain crust, which is starting to break down in some locations.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported today and very little activity in the past week.
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.
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.