Surface instabilities are becoming more likely with increased solar warming. Small avalanches have a high potential to step down, initiating large dangerous avalanches.
It's a good time to avoid all overhead hazard and stick to mellow, supported terrain.
Solar warming may result in cornice failure, acting as a large trigger on the slope below. Avoid overhead exposure containing overhanging cornices.
Small avalanches have the potential to step down to this deeper problem layer, made up of buried weaker facets below an crust formed earlier in the season.
This will form on solar aspects, starting around rocks and trees that may contribute to warming the snow around them.
Throughout the week, large avalanches up to size 3 have been failing on a persistent weak layer in the snowpack. These avalanches have the potential triggered by cornice or loose wet failures caused by solar warming or sympathetically from nearby avalanches. Loose dry avalanches have also occurred out of steep terrain.
There is 10-35 cm of new snow in the icefields area. 50 cm of new snow has been reported on top of the Columbia Icefields. This new snow sits on a crust on all but due north aspects. 1-5mm Surface hoar sits on top of this crust in many areas. A 50-100 cm mid-pack rests on top of weak facets. The lower snowpack consists of depth hoar and breaking down crusts. Tree line snow depth is 110-170 cm.
Friday
Sunny, Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: High -4 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2000 metres.
SaturdaySunny with cloudy periods. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -4 °C, High -2 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2200 metres.
Sunday
Sunny with cloudy periods. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -2 °C, High 1 °C. Ridge wind south: 10 km/h. Freezing level: 2700 metres.
