Patience Grasshopper, nothing much has changed. The danger ratings remain Moderate due to deeply buried facets in the snowpack - especially BTL in Kootenay. Occasional huge avalanches. This is just how it is, so settle in and stay off the big slopes.
Recent winds have created windslabs in the alpine and some treeline locations. These slabs are now a few days old and we expect their sensitivity to decrease however they may be more reactive where they overly facets.
This problem represents both the Dec. 2nd crust/ facet layer (treeline and below) and layers of faceted snow that were formed during the late December cold snap (all elevations). If triggered, either layer could result in large avalanches.
A ridge of high pressure continues to dominate the weather pattern in our region with clear skies and light-moderate NW winds forecast for Thursday. Temperatures should remain below freezing in all areas except sheltered, south and west facing slopes where there could be local warming.
Wind effect and wind slabs in the alpine and exposed tree-line areas and suncrust on steep south facing terrain. In sheltered areas, 20-40 cm of soft snow overlies facets and a weak (Dec 2) crust/facet interface generally 60-100cm deep. This layer continues to produce sudden test results in Kootenay Park and requires a cautious approach.
Skiers triggered a cornice that triggered a size 3 avalanche on the east face of Mt. Carnarvon (above Hamilton Lakes in Yoho Park) on Tuesday. This stepped down to a deeper persistent layer, which illustrates that big triggers or "hitting the sweet spot" can still produce large avalanches. Nothing new reported on Wednesday.
