There was very little wind effect on the new snow in the mountains on Friday. The wind is set to pick up slightly on Saturday and could have the potential to create new wind slabs, particularly in the alpine.
Watch out for signs of recent loading.
The northerly wind, which is expected to increase slightly on Saturday, could be strong enough to carry the new low-density snow and create small wind slabs in the alpine start zones, couloirs and depressions.
No new avalanche was reported or observed. If you go into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
The new snow (around 10cm) covers a wide variability of wind-affected snow in the alpine. There is significantly more snow on the eastern slopes. The other slopes are mostly clear of snow, apart from couloirs and other depressions.
At and below treeline, in areas protected from the wind, 15 to 25 cm of low-density snow cover a layer of dense snow. The latter rests on 2 to 10 cm of facetted grains that have developed on top of the New Year's Day melt-freeze crust layer. At these altitudes, the best snow is found on the northern slopes.
The average height of the snowpack is approximately 100 cm, but varies greatly according to aspect and elevation.
Synopsis: A high-pressure ridge brings us sunshine for the weekend
Friday evening and night: Cloudy. Wind north, 10 to 20 km/h. Low -14.
Saturday: Clear in the morning. Light northerly wind, 15 to 25 km/h. High -12.
Sunday: Sunny. Moderate north-easterly wind. High -11
Monday: Cloudy, light snow. Strong northeast wind. High -13.
For more details, check out the most recent alpine weather forecast.
