Expect firm conditions in the morning, softening with sun and warm temperatures throughout the day and watch for wind slabs in extreme terrain. Wet avalanches become more likely on south facing slopes as the surface crust breaks down, and snow becomes wet and heavy.
Warm temperatures and sun throughout the day may soften the surface crust and weaken the upper snowpack.
Pay close attention to how thick and supportive the surface crust is throughout the day. Minimize your exposure to slopes with wet and heavy snow.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Freezing level around 1000 m, trace to 4 cm of snow possible, light southwest wind.
SATURDAY: Scattered cloud with some clearing in the early evening, no significant snowfall expected, light southwest wind, freezing level around 1700 m.
SUNDAY: Broken cloud cover at dawn building to overcast by lunch, a couple cm of snow possible, moderate southwest wind, freezing level around 1700 m. 4 to 8 cm possible Sunday night.
MONDAY: Overcast, 5 to 15 cm of snow possible, strong southwest wind, freezing level around 1700 m.
On Thursday we received two reports of small rider triggered wind slab avalanches on north and east facing terrain in the alpine in the northern portion of the region.
On Wednesday loose wet avalanches were reported on south facing slopes at treeline and below to size 2.5.
On Tuesday, several size 2-3 wet avalanches were naturally triggered by sun, warm temperatures and cornice falls in western terrain near the Bugaboos, with some failing at the ground.
Small pockets of wind loaded snow may sit on north and east facing slopes in the alpine. A crust exists on all aspects as high as 2500 m, softening in the afternoon at all elevations with warm temperatures and sun creating moist surface snow. At very low elevations, the snowpack may be wet and isothermal, depending on overnight freezing levels.
At 30 to 75 cm below the snow surface, a sun crust can be found on solar aspects from March. The recent warm weather seems to have helped this layer bond.
A thick rain crust with facets above from early December is buried around 150 cm deep. Large avalanches were naturally triggered on this layer during the most recent warm temperatures in western terrain near the Bugaboos. Continued avalanche activity on this layer is unlikely with cooler temperatures forecast.
