Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
Good skiing and travel conditions continue at treeline and above. Watch for early season hazards down low and enjoy the early winter skiing!
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy with a few flurries especially along the divide on Tuesday. Winds are forecast to be in the light to moderate range and temperatures should cool slightly over the next several days.
Snowpack Summary
A few cm's of new snow and increasing winds in the alpine building small soft slabs near ridge crests. 15-30 cm of snow sits over the supportive Nov 12 crust. Below the crust the snowpack has settled, creating a very solid base. Sheltered areas where the recent snow has been preserved provide for great ski conditions at tree line and above.
Avalanche Summary
A couple small wind slabs near ridge crests as a result of ski cutting were reported at the local ski hills on Monday. We suspect some sluffing in steep gullies with the increasing winds and recent snow.
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.