With highly localized but intense snow showers in the forecast some valleys could receive more new snow than expected. If there is more than 20 cm of new snow avalanche danger could be CONSIDERABLE
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Approach and passage of a weather disturbance. I hesitate to call it a storm. Moderate but gusty south and southwest winds, with around 5 cm of snow. THURSDAY: Moderate to strong westerly winds, with another few centimetres of snow. It's possible that some valleys receive short-lived but intense snow showers delivering up to 10cm of snow. Overcast sky with warmer temperatures, in the -5 to -10 C range.FRIDAY: Return to bluer skies, no new precipitation. Continued moderate southwest wind, and daytime temps around -5 to -10 C.SATURDAY: Similar to Friday but with light westerly winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday. One small (size 1) slab and a few loose dry avalanches were triggered in steep terrain on Monday. A few size 1 wind slab avalanches were triggered by skiers over the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
New windslabs will form in Alpine and possibly Treeline areas with forecast weather overnight Wednesday and Thursday. Cold temperatures have transformed most of the snowpack into weaker faceted snow with few if any distinct layers, with the exception alpine terrain where hard wind slabs and wind pressed snow are found.In deep snowpack areas, you may find a slab sitting above a layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried in mid-January and is now 30-60 cm deep. The layer is most prominent in the Elk Valley between 1600 m and 1900 m, but no recent avalanche activity has been reported on this layer.
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.