Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The danger may be elevated in steep terrain and gully features, especially on solar aspects if the sun is out. Loose dry snow is sluffing fast and far and can knock you off or bury you in a terrain trap.
Weather Forecast
Forecasted precipitation beginning Saturday with accumulation values ranging from 10-15cm by Monday. Alpine winds will be moderate to strong from the south west, expect some snow transport in exposed terrain.
Snowpack Summary
20-50cm of snow sits over the december 15 surface hoar layer which is beginning to develop some slab properties. Below this the snowpack is heavily faceted with remanet's of older crust's still lingering throughout. In many areas loose faceted surface snow continues to be the main instability of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
A skier triggered avalanche in the Lake Louise backcountry was reported yesterday, releasing a size 1.5 below treeline. This is the 4th skier triggered avalanche in the area this week. The majority of natural avalanche activity continues to be loose dry releases out of steep gully features.
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.