East Kakwa

Wind slabs are a concern, especially where they sit over buried persistent weak layers.

A few small wind slabs were reported in Pine Pass on Thursday.

Strong winds will reverse-load wind-exposed features.

Exposed areas are highly wind-affected. In sheltered areas, the recent snow overlies a surface hoar layer most prevalent around treeline elevations and below. In sun-exposed terrain, surface hoar may rest atop a thin crust, while elsewhere it sits atop a mix of old wind-affected surfaces and weak, faceted snow.

A widespread crust with facets and/or surface hoar, buried in mid-January, is approximately 30 to 70 cm below the surface.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally well consolidated.

Friday night

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 80 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature - 27 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 40 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -27 °C.

Sunday

Partly cloudy. 30 to 50 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -27 °C.

Monday

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 60 km/h northeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -27 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.
• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.