Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The snowpack so far this year has had very little in the way of fundamental influences to change its structure. Consequently the overall strength of the snowpack at the base is poor at the moment in spite of the lack of natural avalanche activity.
Weather Forecast
A moderate SW flow will bring light snowfall and a relative warming trend in through Sunday and another disturbance will accompany a moderate snowfall early next week.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack at TL and in the alpine continues to exhibit poor structure in lower half of the snowpack, a settled mid pack and a variety of surfaces including crusts, wind slabs where the sun and wind had influence on it. In locations where the snow surfaces were sheltered the upper snowpack has facets and some surface hoar just buried near surface
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity although snowpack tests at treeline today did not inspire confidence in the mind set of today's avalanche forecaster.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Tuesday
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.