Windy weather, with more snow expected, is keeping avalanche hazard elevated at treeline and alpine elevations. Minimize exposure to overhead wind-loaded slopes and cornices. The best riding is near treeline elevations in areas protected from the wind.
A weak layer of buried surface hoar may be found in parts of the region. There is uncertainty on where this layer is a problem, but it appears to be of highest concern in sheltered terrain features near treeline in the southern half of the region, particularly around McBride and the McGregors.
Strong winds continue to build Wind Slabs at higher elevations on northerly and easterly facing terrain features. Similarly CORNICES continue to grow, as does my concern of overhead hazard because of them. With Tuesday's incoming storm, where more than 30 cm of new snow accumulates slopes steeper than 35 degrees are subject to developing a storm slab avalanche problems
Sunday and Monday were the clearing between storms; the next storm expected to arrive Tuesday
Monday Overnight: Mix clouds and clear periods with temperatures in the minus teens. No new precipitation. Moderate west to southwest winds.
Tuesday: WINDY. Cloudy with very strong southwest or west winds . Snow with accumulations around 10 to 30 cm. Temperatures around -5 to -10 C.
Wednesday: Continued strong southwest or west winds. Continued snow with another 5 to 20 cm accumulating. Temperatures warming to near zero at 1500m.
Thursday: Cooling back to below zero temperatures with a northwest moderate wind. Dry with a mix of sun and clouds.
Storm slab and wind slab avalanches reported from steeper slopes and slopes lee to southwest winds were reactive during and after the weekend storm. There's still snow avaiable to transport, as well as ongoing winds, so I expect wind slab activity may be ongoing.
The Feb 01 weekend storm was warm and wet. Below a certain elevation, somewhere around 15 - 1700 m, the precipitation fell as a soaking rain which is now a frozen crust and avalanche concerns are minimal. Above this elevation there was 50 cm or more of recent snow, and strong winds creating both wind slab and cornice concerns.
In the mid-pack there may still be a layer of surface hoar buried in late December. It's gaining strength, but may remain a concern. The warm wet storm on Feb 01 will have tested this layer in the short-term and will improve it in the longer-term; however, we're awaiting evidence before considering it dormant. This layer is found across much of the North Rockies region but our focus is around McBride and the McGregors/Torpy.
