Storm slab hazard will increase throughout the day Sat. Avoid overhead hazard as storm slab avalanches could step down to buried persistent weak layers resulting in huge avalanches.
Slopes that have not yet avalanched will be ripe for human triggering.
See the Avalanche Canada blog post for an update on persistent slab conditions.
Two persistent weak layers are buried down ~110 and ~140 cm. Last weeks snow, combined with extreme winds, overloaded these layers triggering large, destructive avalanches. Be very suspect of slopes that haven't recently avalanched. These weak layers are still within human triggering depths.
Up to 50 cm of recent snowfall was accompanied by warm temps and moderate - strong wind, building storm slabs. Expect this hazard to increase throughout the day with heavy snowfall forecast Saturday afternoon.
Limited explosive testing on Friday produced one size 3 avalanche on the west end of the park.
3 size one natural avalanches on a East aspect at treeline on Wednesday. Approx. 100cm deep, on the Jan 26th layer.
Explosive tests at Fidelity Tues. produced a size 3 avalanche on the Jan 26 surface hoar, which remote triggered a second size 3 slab 50m away.
See the following link to a recent MCR showing the highlights from last weeks avalanche cycle.
20-50 cm of recent storm snow buries old wind slab on polar aspects and a sun crust on solar aspects.
The Feb 9 surface hoar (SH) is down 90-120 cm and remains reactive in snowpack testing. The Feb 9 SH sits over a crust on solar aspects.
The Jan 26th layer is buried down 130-160 cm, and is composed of very large surface hoar (up to 40mm), facets, and/or a crust, The largest surface hoar is preserved in sheltered areas below treeline.
Stormy weekend.
Tonight Flurries, 9cm. Alpine Low -4°C. Freezing level (FZL) 1300m. Wind West 30km/h.
Sat Snow, 20-25cm. High -0 °C. FZL 1900m. Wind SW 35 gusting to 70.
Sun Snow, 16cm. Low -12 °C, High -2 °C. FZL 1600m. Wind West 25 gusting 85km/h.
Mon Flurries, 5-10cm. High -11°C. Wind SW 15 gusting to 50km/h. FZL valley bottom.
