Fresh snow and increasing winds have the potential to create small wind slabs at the ridge crest. Deeper instabilities still lurk within the snowpack, presenting themselves in the form of localized whumpfing and cracking.
Our recent melt-freeze cycle was not strong enough to heal our persistent slab problem. This weak layer, buried 20-40cm deep, is still reactive in snowpit tests and human triggering remains possible, particularly in shallow rocky start zones.
The base of the snowpack is inherently weak and untrustworthy. Human and natural triggering of these basal facets remains possible.
No new avalanches were observed or reported in the last couple of days. However, our field team reported widespread whumpfing at tree line and alpine areas on Tuesday in the Icefields area. On Monday, the field team triggered a size 1.5 persistent slab on a south aspect at tree line.
5 - 10 cm of recent snow sits over a variable, breakable crust. This crust is 1-3cm thick on shaded aspects, and up to a 15-20cm thick on solar aspects. Big, connected, and sunny tree line features are the most troublesome. Persistent and deep persistent weak layers remain ever-present and active. Do not trust either of these layers.
Saturday: A Pacific System will begin spreading cloud from the Northwest with isolated flurries developing in the afternoon. Ridgetop winds 25-30 km/h. Freezing levels at valley bottom.
Sunday:Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Precipitation: Trace. Freezing level: 1700 metres.
The Mountain Weather Forecast is available at Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast
