With strong winds on Saturday plus recent snow available for transport, be alert for dangerous avalanche conditions on specific terrain such as cross-loaded or wind-loaded slopes, Northwest to East aspects, and where local terrain directs windloading patterns. Early season hazards are just below the surface.
Winds were blowing 100km/hr on Saturday from the South. They whipped the snow into lee aspect windslabs and intense spindrifts were observed in the weeping wall area.
Failing on a buried preserved surface hoar, facet and melt-freeze crust layer roughly 20-50cm down. Slabs are stiffer and deeper where wind loading has occurred.
The snow pack is very weak at the bottom. Recent storm snow and building windslabs is adding to its stress.
Sunday's Icefield patrol had limited visibility and the alpine was obscured. Three size 1-2 wind-slabs were observed in the Parker area where one would suspect the buried surface hoar was sheltered, present, and preserved. These appeared to have occurred on Thursday or Friday.
30cm of new snow from last Tuesday formed a persistent slab overlying a surface hoar or facet layer or a melt-freeze crust on south and west aspects. The snowpack is 40-60cm deep with a weak facetted base. A rain crust exists below 1800m. Saturday's moderate to strong South winds spawned windslabs on lee aspects.
The Mountain Weather Forecast is available from Avalanche Canada https://avalanche.ca/weather/forecast
Monday to Wednesday will be sun, clouds, -8 °C, and light winds.
