We are expecting to get some sun though the weekend. Even a little bit of solar radiation may be enough to trigger the storm slab, or cause a cornice to fail and trigger deeper layers. Minimize your exposure during sunny periods.
Weather Forecast
Today should be mostly cloudy with flurries. Temps will range from -7 to -15'C with moderate westerly winds. Friday should be cloudy with sunny periods, flurries will continue through the day. Saturday the flurries and the wind will taper off, with a mix of sun and cloud.
Snowpack Summary
The recent storm snow is settling, with various layers within it that are resistant when they fail with moderate force. Both the Mar 13 (down ~50cm) and the Mar 2 (down ~1m) crust/surface hoar layers are becoming patchy but reactive in snowpack tests where they exist. The Feb 10-Jan22 layers are down 1.5-2m and continue to show step down potential.
Avalanche Summary
Natural activity in the highway corridor has tapered off with cloud cover. A size 2 natural avalanche was reported from the Hospital Knob area of Connaught.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
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.