Be aware of the rapidly changing temperatures over the next few days especially if the sun comes out as the warming is occurring on Wed. Some great skiing can be enjoyed by riders that pay close attention to group management right now.
Weather Forecast
Expecting cold air to invade from the Prairies over the next two days. Warming should occur Wednesday. Winds look to remain out of the NW which usually translates to calm conditions below ridge crests in the Cameron Lake Zone. Mainly dry with clear breaks but expect a few flurries as warmer air West of the divide collides with the polar air.
Snowpack Summary
Now 30-40 cm over 130123 interface. On steep South aspects the 0125 suncrust is now buried 25cm and sits 15cm above the 0123 interface which is found as a 1cm thick suncrust with 10 to 20 cm faceted crystals below. On other aspects the 0123 interface is old settled windslab or faceted crystals. Windslabs forming on exposed ridges above treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Many loose snow avalanches have been seen out of extreme terrain on North and East aspects over the last few days. Skiers in steep terrain also experience sluffing. These have generally been slow moving but gain considerable mass. It can be particularly difficult to hold an edge on the hard old snow interface as a sluff starts to move.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.