The rising temperatures this weekend and into next week will be the first real test of the facetted snowpack. If the sun comes out, local hazard levels will rise above what is posted.
Weather Forecast
Friday: Mainly cloudy, moderate west winds. Freezing Level 1400m.Saturday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Moderate west winds, freezing level 1600m.Sunday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Moderate to Light west winds. Freezing level up to 1800m.
Snowpack Summary
15-20cm of powder is being blown into new wind slabs by moderate west winds. This is sitting on a sun crust on steep south aspects and hard wind affected surfaces everywhere else that are providing a good sliding surface for the new snow. Crust facet combinations remain deep in the snowpack at lower elevations.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous small loose dry avalanches were observed in the Cameron lake and Akamina Parkway area on Thursday, and one older small avalanche with a 60cm deep crown was observed below treeline in a thin snowpack area. In the Castle Mountain region, two large avalanches were reported on NW aspects from the past week likely running on deep week layers.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
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.