Use caution as you travel into wind effected terrain. Small avalanches can have big consequences in extreme terrain or when terrain traps are present.
Soft, fresh wind slabs may be found in unusual terrain features due to reverse loading by irregular wind direction. Wind slabs may sit over a sun crust on solar aspects and a rain crust below 2100 m. Crusts make a slick bed surface for avalanches.
Wednesday night: no new snow expected. Light to moderate northwest winds and a Low of -16 at 1900m.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with the possibility of light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow in the evening. Light to moderate west wind with a high of -6 at 1900m.
Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. Moderate west wind. Freezing level rising to 1700 m.
Saturday: cloudy with light dlurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Freesing levels around 1800m. Light to Moderate southwest winds.
Observed avalanche activity on Tuesday was limited to size 1 skier triggered storm slab and loose dry avalanches. Little wind effect or slab property was observed in the new snow.
On Sunday, explosive control work near Elkford produced cornice, storm slab and loose dry avalanches size 1.5-2.5 on north aspects in the alpine. Good visibility allowed observation of 2-3 day old storm slabs up to size 2.5 in the Castle backcountry. In neighboring Waterton National Park, ski cuts produced storm slabs and loose dry avalanches up to size 1.5.
The southeast corner was the winner again on Monday with 20-40 cm on the eastern slopes of the range. Elsewhere, closer to 10 cm (if any) new snow sits over a crust on steep south facing slopes and below 1500 m. The new snow has likely seen a bit of wind effect in exposed terrain at upper elevations.
Last week's snowfall amounts also varied widely through the region with as much as 50 cm in the south and as little as 10 cm in the north. Below 2100 m, a rain crust exists embedded within this snow. Below, a variety of old surfaces include a sun crust on solar aspects, and potentially weak, sugary crystals in shady areas.
The middle and lower snowpack are generally well consolidated, with a crust/facet layer from early December found near the ground. It is currently considered dormant but could become active later this season.
