Banff Yoho Kootenay

Light flurries and wind Friday night may create new thin windslabs in some locations. The Deep Persistent layer of facets appears dormant for now, yet some uncertainty remains for very steep, thin areas, east of the divide.

No new avalanches observed or reported Wednesday or Thursday.

Extensive wind effect exists in the alpine, with some surface faceting helping to break down crusts and create softer skiing. In sheltered areas at treeline and below, widespread surface hoar is now buried by a few centimeters is referred to as the Jan 24 layer. A deeper surface hoar layer (Jan 3) lies 50–60 cm down, but there have been no recent avalanches. Basal crust and/or facets exist in thin snowpack areas, but overall, this year's deeper snowpack is stronger than usual.

Friday night: Up to 6 cm overnight. Westerly winds at 20 km/hr gusting to 50 km/hr and alpine temperatures ~ -5°C

Saturday and Sunday: Partly cloudy Saturday, and increasing cloud for Sunday with the potential for a few cms Sunday afternoon. Light wind and mild temperatures (-5° C). Daytime temps at the valley bottom may be above 0°C

No major snow in the forecast. Click here for Environment Canada weather tables