Northernly aspects may still produce big sluffs in steep terrain !
Confidence
Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
The ridge of high pressure that has given us mild upper elevation conditions is forecast to move out of BC by Sunday morning. Cooler air will move into the region bringing an end to the inversion and lowering temperatures in the alpine to more normal, below freezing values. The BC interior should remain dry until Tuesday next week. For more in-depth weather information, visit: https://avalanche.ca/weather
Avalanche Summary
A few reports from yesterday speak of loose, dry sluffing from steep solar affected alpine slopes. Otherwise, no avalanche activity to report.
Snowpack Summary
The last few days of clear skies, solar radiation, and warm air trapped at higher elevations has settled the most recent storm snow. Steep southerly aspects have released loose moist or wet avalanches in alpine terrain, and new melt-freeze crusts will be forming overnight as the temperatures drop below freezing. Wind transported snow that formed soft wind slabs should now be bonding with the warm temperatures on many aspects.
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.