MIN reports speak of good to excellent riding quality in sheltered areas! Be mindful of newly formed wind slabs and our deep persistent slab problem when making terrain choices.
Variable amount of new snow and moderate SW winds creating new windslab in lee and crossloaded features. Watch for hollow sounds and cracking. Consider testing smaller slopes before committing to larger features; windslabs could initiate deep layers.
Triggering this layer would be a high consequence event - cautious decisions and thorough investigation is necessary. More likely to trigger this layer in transitions from thin snowpack to deeper loaded pockets or terrain features.
Friday: Scattered flurries. Accumulation: 4 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -16 C, High -14 C. Ridge wind SW: 25 to 40 km/h
Saturday: Snow. Accumulation: 25 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -13 C, High -8 C. Ridge wind SW: 20 km/h gust to 55
Sunday: Flurries: Accumulation: 6 cm. Alpine temperature: Low -21 C, High -13 C. Ridge wind SW 15 km/h gust to 45
Incremental amounts of new snow being redistributed by moderate SW winds; exposed alpine features continue to be scoured. In sheltered areas 20-30cm settled snow sits atop a supportive midpack. Soft slab forming in open areas. Our basal crust/facet/depth hoar combo near the ground remains a layer of concern. Snowpack depth 100-140cm Icefields area.
No new avalanches have been reported. Human triggering of large avalanches remains possible especially in features with variable thin to thick snow depths in the alpine and at treeline.
