The best and safest riding will likely be found in sheltered, lower elevation terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Thursday: 2-4cm of new snow / Light southwest winds / Alpine temperature of -10Thursday night and Friday: up to 15cm of new snow / Strong to extreme southwest winds / Alpine temperature of -7Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud / Moderate southwest winds / Alpine temperature of -3 / Freezing level at 1500m
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, explosive control and ski cutting produced size 1-1.5 avalanches at treeline and in the alpine. A cornice fall in Waterton Park resulted in a Size 2.5, entraining lots of snow. Natural activity is expected to taper off, but storm and wind slabs will remain susceptible to human triggering.
Snowpack Summary
We've had daily snowfalls of 5-15cm since Saturday, bringing the total from the past week to 50-80 cm. At times, strong southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets.The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.
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.
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.