The Maligne Road remains closed due to continued avalanche hazard.
Weather Forecast
No new precipitation is forecast over the next 48hrs. Winds will remain light and northerly in the Icefields area. The temperatures will increase into the weekend with increased solar radiation as a ridge of high pressure tracks south.
Snowpack Summary
The recent storm snow appears to be bonding well to previous surfaces, and has been subjected to minimal wind affect. At lower elevations, this storm snow is sitting on a weak and faceted midpack. There is a lot of snow that is plastered to steep rocky terrain that will most likely sluff once the sun hits it in the afternoon.
Avalanche Summary
Monday's explosive control work produced some size 3 soft slabs in the Icefields and Maligne lake areas. Cool alpine temperatures and cloud cover continues to reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the snowpack today. This will change towards the weekend with increased temperatures and clear skies resulting in higher avalanche danger.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.