Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Windslabs and windloaded open areas will still have to be managed carefully. Watch for shallow or hollow areas. Also, Tree-wells are still very rotted out and should be avoided.
Weather Forecast
A little bit of everything except spring. Some upper winds, more snow, clouds and clear breaks. Models vary, but it is reasonable to expect 10cm more snow on Friday, Next week we dip into some cooler temps and more snow, Hopefully we get some sun and warmer temps by the end of the week.
Snowpack Summary
Recent winds have created windslabs and buried windslabs. Up to 30 cm of storm snow sits on suncrusts or facets and remains tricky.
Avalanche Summary
Poor visibility limited observations today. No natural avalanches were reported.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.