Purcells

Before committing to a slope, carefully assess steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

On Wednesday a large (size 2) slab was triggered by sluffing from overhead rocky terrain.

On Tuesday, a large (size 2) cornice fall and a small (size 1) skier-controlled wind slab avalanche were reported.

Over the weekend, several wind slabs and loose avalanches were reported, up to size 1.5, in steep alpine terrain. Some where triggered by riders, and some by the sun.

Up to 10 cm of recent storm snow overlies previously wind-affected surfaces, a sun crust, or surface hoar in sheltered areas.

In sheltered areas, 10 to 30 cm of settling snow sits over a frozen crust that formed in early February. This crust is generally supportive to the weight of a person below treeline, but becomes breakable around treeline, and disappears as you ascend higher into the alpine.

The midpack is generally faceted.

The bottom 15 to 30 cm of the snowpack consists of a deep persistent weak layer of facets, depth hoar, and crusts that continue to produce sporadic, large avalanches.

Wednesday Night

Cloudy with a trace of snow, 5 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, treeline temperature around -6 °C, freezing level dropping to valley bottom.

Thursday

Cloudy with a trace of snow, 5 to 10 km/h west ridgetop wind, treeline temperature around -1 °C, freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Friday

Partly cloudy with trace amounts of snow, 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, treeline temperature around -1 °C, freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 1 to 2 cm of snow, 25 km/h west ridgetop wind, treeline temperature around 0 °C, freezing level rising to 1700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.