***Updated 7:25***
Human-triggered avalanches are possible.
Use safe travel habits and regroup in safe spots.
It remains possible that humans could trigger surface hoar and/or faceted grains that were buried early March and mid-February, especially at high elevations where a thick crust doesn't exist above it.
Moderate winds have created wind slabs in the alpine and treeline elevations. These could step down to deeper persistent weak layers.
On Tuesday one small (size 1) slab avalanche was triggered by a skier on a northeast aspect in the alpine. Two small slabs and one very large (size 3) avalanche were triggered by explosive control work. On Monday a very large (size 3) natural avalanche was reported near Valemount.
Obvious signs of instability are tapering off, but human-triggered avalanches are still possible.
Up to 20 cm of snow has fallen since Monday. This new snow overlies a melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes.
Three persistent weak layers of surface hoar and/or facets are found in the middle of the snowpack. The early March layer is between 60 and 120 cm down. The mid-February layer is between 70 and 150 cm deep and a layer from late January is down 150 cm. In lower elevations, these layers sit over a crust.
Below this, the snowpack is well settled.
Wednesday night
Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with 2 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
