Sluffs triggered by travelers in steep terrain need to be managed carefully. The recent uplsope storm brought a bit of snow and created a few windslabs in some unlikely spots.... see below.
Weather Forecast
The region will remain under the influence of a ridge for the period. Winds will be light and temperatures will be cold with potential for inversions. No snow is expected. Check our weather stations for current conditions.
Snowpack Summary
3-10cm of low density snow sits over the Jan 6 interface of surface hoar, facets and sun crust (buried on steep S aspects). Thin, Isolated wind slabs exist in the alpine near ridge crests. Below 2000m the Dec 3 layer of surface hoar and facets remains visible down 20-50 cm but is currently dormant. Thin areas are faceting out and weakening.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity has diminished since the new snow fell, after an initial increase in small, skier triggered wind slabs and surface sluffing out of extreme terrain to size 1.5. Neighboring Kananaskis Country reported a size 2 natural wind slab on a West aspect at 2600m failing 40cm deep on the Jan 6 interface, 40m wide and running 600m.
Confidence
Problems
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.