Watch for small loose wet avalanches on south facing slopes. Wind slab avalanches are expected to be small and confined to aggressive terrain.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY NIGHT: No precipitation. Light west winds.SUNDAY: Dry and sunny. Daytime treeline temperatures around -5C. Increasing westerly winds; blowing strong by end of the day.MONDAY: Dry and sunny. Daytime treeline temperatures around -2 C. Moderate to strong westerly winds.TUESDAY: Cloudy and light snow developing. Daytime treeline temperatures just below 0 C. Light westerly winds.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanche activity has been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Wind slabs will remain in the Alpine and possibly treeline areas but are likely to become hard to trigger.Cold temperatures have transformed most of the snowpack into weaker faceted snow with few if any distinct layers, with the exception of alpine terrain where hard wind slabs and wind pressed snow are found.In deep snowpack areas, you may find a slab sitting above a layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried in mid-January and is now 30-60 cm deep. The layer is most prominent in the Elk Valley between 1600 m and 1900 m, but no recent avalanche activity has been reported on this layer.
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.