Watch for new windslabs in alpine lee areas and loose dry avalanches in steep terrain. Ski quality is currently excellent.
Weather Forecast
Valley temperatures will vary between -5 and -20 for the next 3 days. Clear skies are expected on Monday with light North wind. A slight increase in cloud and wind (up to moderate west) is expected on Tuesday. Overall, minimal weather inputs that will impact the danger rating.
Snowpack Summary
30 to 50 cm of snow has fallen since Feb 2. This has been affected by variable winds, isolated periods of solar radiation and most notably, sustained cold temperatures promoting faceting. Down 30 to 75cm, Jan 17 surface hoar produces sudden planar shears in isolated locations treeline an below. A weak basal snowpack exists in shallow areas.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous loose dry avalanches and wind slabs up to size 2 were observed today on a flight from Banff to the Wapta Icefields. The wind slabs appeared to bit between 10 and 20cm thick. Additionally, a skier triggered avalanche was reported on the MIN near Paget Glades today, no injury or lost gear reported.
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.