Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The hazard is Moderate, but forecasters still have lowered confidence in the overall strength of the snowpack, especially in thin areas. SH
Weather Forecast
Expect an above freezing layer to develop Friday at upper elevations. Alpine temperatures may be close to zero until Sat. night with light Northerly winds. No precipitation is forecast for the next 2 days.
Snowpack Summary
The midpack is slowly strengthening. Sudden collapse compression results still found, failing at the base in old DH and on top of the crust in the hard range. Some moist snow in the afternoons on steep, solar aspects forming thin sun crusts overnight. Wapta Icefields snow cover reported as highly variable, ranging from 20cm-2m over the ice.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Friday
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.