Clear skies and intense solar radiation will increase the avalanche danger quickly and dramatically later in the day. Avalanches may occur that run full path down into the trees. Start and finish your trip early.
Weather Forecast
Saturday may see some broken clouds as the skies continue to clear. Sunday and Monday will be sunny with daytime temperatures approaching the low 20s in the valley bottom with freezing levels close to 3000m. By midweek, the forecast returns to mixed sun and cloud with the occasional bit of precipitation thrown in.
Snowpack Summary
The 40cm of snow that fell last week in the Icefields area has been blown into windslabs below easterly alpine ridgelines. On Southerly aspects, this new snow is becoming wet and is sliding on the buried suncrust. Relatively warm overnight temperatures are limiting the development of a supportive crust.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, several loose wet avalanches were reported in the Icefields Area on South facing alpine slopes. These avalanches involved last week's storm snow and are running far (300 to 400 m). No new avalanches were reported on Friday.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Saturday
Problems
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.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.