Give the new snow time to settle and bond before pushing into bigger terrain with higher consequences. Thursday's forecast calls for sunshine, which will promote instability on sun-affected slopes.
Heavy snowfall over the early week layered thick storm slabs over much of the region. The new snow needs time to settle and form a strong bond with the underlying surface. Until this happens, steeper slopes - especially where wind-loaded - may produce avalanches with a human trigger.
Wednesday night: Clear periods. Light to moderate northwest winds.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light northwest winds. Alpine temperatures around -14.
Friday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Moderate southwest winds, becoming strong at ridgetop. Alpine high temperatures around -10.
Saturday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -7.
Reports of avalanche activity in the Fernie area on Tuesday showed numerous storm slabs releasing naturally as well as with remote triggers from skier traffic, and with explosives. Avalanches generally ranged from size 1 (small) to size 2.5 (large). The bulk of this activity was observed on north to east aspects.
Looking forward, the recent snow should begin to form a more reliable bond with the old surface as our slab problems become increasingly limited to wind-loaded areas at higher elevations.
The recent storm brought about 40-70 cm of new snow to the region over the early part of the week. The new snow buried recent widespread wind affected snow that extended well below treeline. Recent Cornice growth in the alpine has been notable.
Several crusts layers have formed in the mid to upper snowpack as a result of recent warming and rain events. The uppermost of these may have acted as a bed surface for recent storm slab avalanches at treeline and below.
The lower snowpack consists of weak faceted snow and decomposing crusts but has not been an active avalanche problem recently.
