Observe your local conditions, and let that guide your terrain choice. Dynamic spring weather means that avalanche danger could change quickly.
Avoid steep slopes that are getting baked in the sun.
If you are the benefactor of a sneaky, convective snowstorm, scale back your objectives for the day, and play in mellower terrain while the storm snow has a chance to stabilize.
Isolated convective snowfall could bring up to 15 cm of snow in very isolated areas.
If you get significant snowfall in your backcountry area, use extra caution around ridgecrests, rolls, and on convex slopes. Retreat to mellower terrain if you find signs of instability like shooting cracks, whumpfs, or recent avalanches.
A very wet storm earlier in the week soaked the surface snow, and while freezing levels are falling overnight, a loose wet avalanche problem may re-emerge through the day as the temperature rises, and if the sun comes out.
Watch for signs of loose wet instability, like snow pinwheeling or snowballing down the slope, or surface snow that starts to look and feel like a slurpy.
No new avalanches were reported before 4pm on Thursday.
On Monday and Tuesday, in the Fernie area. Warming and rain induced a widespread, naturally triggered, loose wet avalanche cycle. This included several large (size 2-2.5), avalanches and one large (size 2.5) glide slab.
If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.
5-10 cm of dry snow overlies moist snow on shaded (northerly) aspects in the alpine and at treeline. Moist surfaces on solar aspects, and on all aspects below treeline.
Earlier in the week, 20-30 mm (more around Fernie) of precipitation fell, mostly in the form of rain.
The mid-snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.
At treeline and below, shallow snowpack areas are likely to be isothermal, and the snowpack is shrinking.
The lower snowpack includes a layer of weak sugary crystals near the ground. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity in this area, but professionals continue to monitor for signs of it becoming active.
Unsettled and convective weather could bring brief but intense periods of snowfall. Pinpointing these localized events creates a high level of uncertainty with this weather forecast. Prepare to continually evaluate the conditions, and change plans as necessary.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy.1-5 cm of snow expected. Isolated areas of 10-15 cm or more. Treeline low around -6°C. Light southwest ridgetop wind.
Friday
Mix of sun and cloud. 0-2 cm of snow expected. Freezing level rising to 1750m. Treeline high of -3°C. Light southwest ridgetop wind.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. No new snow expected. Freezing level at valley bottom overnight rising to 2100 m. Light southwest ridgetop wind.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. Light to moderate snow/rain expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Snow/rain line around 1500 m overnight, rising to 2100 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
