Wind slabs are building on lee slopes near ridgetops.
Areas that see 20 cm or more of recent snow should treat the danger as CONSIDERABLE at upper elevations.
Recent snow combined with southwesterly winds has built wind slabs on lee slopes that may remain triggerable, and will be especially reactive in areas that saw 20 cm or more of recent snow. Continue to avoid steep wind-loaded areas.
On Thursday, southwest of Valemount, a small size 1 slab was remotely triggered at a distance of 80 m. The failure plane is unknown.
On Wednesday, A skier accidentally triggered a small wind slab on a northeast-facing wind-loaded slope. Naturally triggered dry loose sluffing and several wind slabs up to size 2 were also observed in the region.
With more new snow and wind in the forecast, we expect wind slabs to remain reactive to human triggering on Friday.
A new layer of surface hoar or sun crust has been buried by 5 to 15 cm of new snow. This may make wind slabs more reactive than normal. Up to 10 cm more may fall on Friday night.
Areas that see recent accumulations of 20 cm or more, should treat the danger as considerable at upper elevations.
Below the new snow, 20 to 60 cm of older snow is covering a melt-freeze crust that exists up to around 1900 m and on sunny aspects.
A layer of surface hoar/facets/crust from late January may exist buried 60 to 80 cm. This layer seems to have gone dormant, but lingering concern remains for northerly sheltered features at treeline.
The remaining snowpack is well settled with no layers of concern.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy. 1 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Sunday
Mostly sunny. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 4 cm of snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
