Regions
Banff Yoho Kootenay.
The surface snow is so unconsolidated that almost all steep slopes will sluff. If the terrain is long & steep enough (couloirs, gullies) then prepare to manage a mass snow flowing around you. There's great skiing on wind sheltered slopes!
Weather Forecast
Another day of slightly warmer daytime highs (~-7C) on Thursday before we slide back into the deep freeze on Friday with a trace of snow possible. The arctic air will continue to prevail for the next several days with no snow in the forecast.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is stable, but with each passing day it becomes weaker and more unconsolidated as the cold temperatures facet the surface layers. Surface conditions are a mix of wind effect or 30 cm of very loose facets sitting over an old layer of surface hoar & crust (Jan 17) down 40-60 cm. Snowpack tests show hard, resistent shears on this layer.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity observed or reported today. Recent reports have noted small wind slabs being triggered in the alpine and loose dry avalanches releasing in steep terrain at all elevations. The faceted surface can easily entrain mass, and sweep you off your feet!
Confidence
Due to the number and quality of field observations
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.