Skiing will be great on sheltered low angle treeline slopes. Avoid the temptation to be drawn onto big features until conditions warrant.
Weather Forecast
Treeline temperatures will remain mild with moderate to strong SW winds continuing Friday night through to Saturday afternoon. Only light precipitation is expected. On Saturday night, winds and temperatures will drop as a moist upper trough will bring another 20 cm or more by Sunday morning.
Snowpack Summary
Soft to hard slabs are forming in the alpine under the influence of moderate to strong Westerly winds. In the Columbia Icefields area over 80cm of snow has fallen Since Wednesday. At treeline, soft slabs exist in the most wind exposed terrain. Lesser amounts of snow fell near Jasper townsite.
Avalanche Summary
Large natural slab avalanches are occurring on steep alpine slopes as moderate to strong SW winds continue to load lee features. Avalanche control on the Icefields Parkway yielded good results with slab avalanches scouring to ground. At treeline, mild temperatures and solar exposure provided the trigger Loose wet slides south of the Icefields.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Saturday
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.
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.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.