Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Winter is on, people are skiing, and many ice climbs are now in. Isolated wind slabs are the only problem currently, but remember a small slide can have big consequences, especially in climbing terrain. SH
Weather Forecast
Continued mild temperatures and light snow for Monday. Some models are showing heavier snowfall next week, west of the Divide. Keep your fingers crossed.
Snowpack Summary
An average of 30-50 cm of snow at treeline with up to 100 cm in alpine locations. A crust formed prior to Halloween is down 10-15 cm helping provide support for skiers. This crust disappears on N aspects around 2500m. Previous alpine winds have created pockets of wind slab. On glaciers be wary of the ice-snow interface and check it for instability.
Avalanche Summary
3 small sluffs and one piece of cornice were noted on 93N today (Saturday).
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.