With cooling temperatures surface instabilities are becoming less reactive, but persistent and deep persistent layers still exist with a large load on top of them.
Make conservative terrain decisions, and avoid exposure to overhead hazard.
This avalanche problem is associated with a weak facet and crust layer buried at the end of January approximately 80cm down in sheltered areas. This includes a crust layer formed in early March below the recent storm snow which is prominent on solar aspects.
Avalanches in the upper snowpack are likely to step down to this deeper weak layer. Keep this layer in mind when assessing overhead hazards.
Road patrols on the icefields Parkway Wednesday and Thursday observed a widespread wet loose cycle to size 2 in steep terrain on all aspects, triggering persistent and deep persistent slab avalanches in some areas to size 3. Storm slab avalanches were also observed occurring on solar aspects. No observations have been made in the alpine due to poor visibility. No patrol or reported avalanches on Friday.
10-20 cm of new snow is settling quickly. At 2200m the upper 80cm is in the process of refreezing. There is a 50-100 cm settled mid-pack over the Jan 30 facet interface. The lower snowpack is comprised of depth hoar and old crusts, and is generally weak. Snow depth at treeline is 110 - 170 cm.
Saturday
Accumulation: 6 cm. Alpine temperature: High -2 °C. Ridge wind light to 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2000 metres.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -7 °C, High -2 °C. Ridge wind light to 15 km/h. Freezing level: 2000 metres.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -7 °C, High -2 °C. Ridge wind light to 15 km/h. Freezing level: 2000 metres.
