Good quality skiing where not wind affected. Winds have strangely remained light leaving the powder intact.
Weather Forecast
The next few days winds will remain light westerly, -5 to -15 degrees, and no new significant snow. Friday may bring 5-10cm.
Snowpack Summary
The weekends 30cm of storm snow has formed soft slabs in lee features on a buried crust. The crust can be found 2100-2600m down 40-60cm on all aspects. It will be a layer of concern as the snow load increases. In many areas the storm snow remains unaffected by the wind and offers good skiing. The status quo will remain for a few days longer.
Avalanche Summary
Several size 1-1.5 loose snow avalanches from 2100-2400m on solar aspects were noted on Tuesday through the Icefields. Monday, a size 2 and 1.5 windslab was noted from steeper terrain. The 1.5 was triggered by a group of skiers from 25m away on a west facing slope at 2300m. The other from a NE moraine band at 2100m.
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.