Temperatures are expected to climb over the next few days and winds are forecast to increase. Watch for pockets of small slabs to get increasingly sensitive to human triggering over the next little while.
Confidence
Fair - Due to limited field observations
Avalanche Summary
A few loose dry avalanches that were pulling out slab avalanches on the lower slopes were observed on Sunday. One of these larger loose dry avalanches pulled out a sz 2 slab above "Trick or Treat" on Mt Lougheed. This would have had bad consequences if someone had been on the route.
Snowpack Summary
Snowpack 50-70cm at 2200m in elevation. Below this still below threshold for avalanches in many areas. The Nov 6th crust is down 10cm and is 5cm thick and the October crust is down 30cm and is only 2cm thick. Between these two crusts is a thinner more variable crust that could not be found in many locations. Crust was carrying in most areas.
Problems
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.
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.