Keep up the restraint with terrain choices while early season conditions prevail. Steep, wind-loaded gullies are the most likely place to trigger an avalanche.
The base of our thin snowpack is weak and faceted. Steep pockets of deeper, wind-loaded snow are the most likely to break away from this weak base under the weight of a person or machine.
Surface conditions are an uninspiring mix of heavily wind-affected surfaces, melt-freeze crust on solar aspects, and 10-15 cm of faceting low density snow in sheltered and shaded areas. Large surface hoar has been spotted growing on most of these surfaces.
A crust with facets or depth hoar exists at or near the ground, which has produced avalanches in the East Purcells and nearby Kananaskis Country. The snowpack is shallower than average for this time of year with depths at treeline ranging from 20 -50 cm, and tapers rapidly below.
Expect early season conditions.
Wednesday Night
Mainly clear with valley cloud remaining below 2000 m. Northwest alpine wind 5 to 10 km/h.
Thursday
Partly cloudy with thick valley cloud below 2500 m. South alpine wind 5 to 10 km/h. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with isolated flurries. Minimal accumulations. Southwest alpine wind 5-20 km/h, increasing. Treeline temperature -9.
Saturday
Cloudy with isolated flurries. Minimal accumulations. West or southwest alpine wind 15-50 km/h, strongest in the alpine. Treeline temperature -9.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
