Great ski conditions in Little Yoho. Watch for wind slabs and sluffing with increasing winds Friday in high alpine terrain. We will see a slow rise in the avalanche danger over the coming days with increased solar input.
Weather Forecast
There will be a slow increase in solar input and a general warming trend over the next week which is certainly the transition to a spring . On Friday winds will increase to strong in the alpine with a mix of sun and cloud and a few cm ending in the early AM. Every day will be slightly warmer on the weekend and rapidly rise starting Monday.
Snowpack Summary
15-30cm recent low density snow (higher amounts in western regions) over previously wind blown surfaces in the alpine, and 30-50cm of facets below. Lower elevations are completely faceted to ground. Steep areas continue to produce sluffing in many areas with buried suncrust on steep S aspects.
Avalanche Summary
Only sluffing out of very steep alpine terrain was noted in Little Yoho today.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.