Look for fresh thin wind slabs in the alpine and avoid them. Although flurries and cloud is forecasted Friday, be mindful of any significant periods of sun and the warmth through the day. If the crusts break down, the hazard may rise to moderate.
Small 10-15 cm thick wind slabs were ski cut/triggered Thursday and most reported in the lees of features. Although small in size, it could be enough to send one tumbling down a face or couloir.
With freezing levels rising to 2000m and the partly cloudy/flurry forecast Friday, we may see this problem develop as crusts melt with any prolonged burst of sunshine combined with day time warming.
Scattered flurries and partly cloudy skies are forecasted for Friday. Winds (SW) will taper through the day from 40-50 km/hr to 20-30 km/hr. Freezing levels on Friday may rise up to 2000 m and then drop to valley bottom Thursday and Friday night. For more details, click here.
Isolated thin windslabs exist in the alpine and mostly noted on immediate lee of features. Surface melt-freeze crusts exist on all aspects up to approx. 2300m and higher on solar aspects. On high elevation north aspects dry snow exists. The mid-pack is well settled but has several persistent layers consisting of crusts and/or facets.
In the alpine, a few 1.5 thin windslabs were ski cut/triggered in the region on Thursday. A fresh size 3 avalanche was observed on the main highway path on Mt. Stephen on Wednesday. This was likely serac triggered.
