Minimal avalanche activity has inspired confidence in the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
Saturday will be isolated flurries, -12, and light West winds. Sunday will be similar but with gusting 55km/hr West winds. Monday will be exactly like Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
There is a well settled snowpack. Widespread wind effected snow exists in the alpine with minimal ski penetration. The Halloween Oct. 31 crust sits in the lower half of the snowpack with faceted crystals above and below; found between 2200 - 2900m.
Avalanche Summary
An older (3 day) slab avalanche was reported in the Icefields on a South aspect at 2850 m that started 20 cm deep and then stepped down to a crust 30 cm below. The slope angle was ~40 deg. and the size was 2.5. It was likely a solar trigger avalanche. No patrol occurred Friday and nothing new reported.
Confidence
Wind speed and direction is uncertain on Sunday
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.