This forecast area has a thinner snowpack than areas to the west, and in isolated areas a basal facet layer is prominent. A skier triggered avalanche occurred on this layer on Tuesday indicating that extra caution is required, especially on steep, shallow, alpine slopes.
Basal facets or a facet/crust combination remain near the ground. It is most susceptible to triggering in thin-to-thick snowpack transition areas.
No new avalanches observed or reported in this region on Friday.
However, on Tuesday, there was a skiier triggered size 2 in a steep, cross-loaded and thin snowpack alpine slope in the Lake Louise backcountry.
There is extensive wind effect in the alpine with some surface faceting that may help break down the crusts creating some softer skiing. In protected areas treeline and below there is widespread surface hoar growth
Deeper in the snowpack is the layer of surface hoar, down 50-60 cm producing hard, sudden planar test results, but no recent avalanches. At the ground, basal facets exist in thin snowpack areas, but overall, this year's deeper snowpack is stronger than usual.
The ridge of high pressure will remain through Sunday bringing generally clear and dry conditions. Saturday may see a few scattered flurries along the continental divide. Treeline day-time high temperatures will be in the -10 range on Saturday.
