There is uncertainty about how widespread a buried surface hoar layer is at treeline and below. Look locally for its presence.
Good ski quality can be found in sheltered locations, with plenty of wind slab up high!
30-40 cm of recent storm snow, combined with consistent moderate winds, has created generally small wind slabs in exposed alpine and treeline areas.
A layer of surface hoar buried Jan 3 is down 20-45cm (deepest in Yoho). So far, there isn't a very cohesive slab above, and only isolated reports of small avalanches from Sunshine and Mt. Field. Dig down to check whether this layer is present, as it is not widespread throughout the region.
A layer of facets near the ground remains well established. In deep snowpack areas (western side), we have minimal concerns; our concern is mainly on the east side of the forecast area and especially in thin-to-thick snowpack transitions, where large, deep avalanches remain possible.
Both Lake Louise and Sunshine ski hills got small size 1 wind slabs with explosives on Thursday. In the past few days, there have been some small wind slabs reported from the ski hills, mainly within the new snow. Sunshine had a few on the Jan 3 surface hoar, and there was 1 report from a few days ago of a small avalanche on Mt. Field that was also on that layer.
Overall, the snowpack is stronger than normal. 30-40 cm of recent storm snow with SW winds has formed windslabs. In sheltered areas below treeline, this new snow sits on a layer of surface hoar buried on Jan 3, but this layer is not widespread, and not much slab has formed above it yet.
There is 40-80 cm over the Dec 15 melt-freeze crust, present to 1800-2000 m, and 80-160 cm over the November facet/crust interfaces. In thinner snowpack areas, facets are present at the base
Thursday night/Friday: Trace of snow and alpine winds 40kmh with treeline temperature highs of -6C.
Saturday: Freezing levels rising to 2000m, winds 50kmh and no snow.
Click here to see Environment Canada weather tables
