The warm temperatures and strong solar effect will continue to weaken the snowpack.
A Special Avalanche Warning is in effect immediately, through Saturday.
Wind slabs in the alpine and exposed treeline features have the potential for wide propagations across connected features.
Afternoon sun is packing a punch on lower elevation, SW through W slopes. Ice climbers: be extremely cautious. Overhead hazards can catch sun early.
Caution in thin facetted snowpack areas where triggering is more likely. This is a low probability but high consequence problem.
Friday: Cloudy with scattered flurries (4cm); alpine: High -2 °C; ridge wind southwest: 20 km/h; freezing level: 2000m.
Saturday: Flurries (9cm); alpine: Low -9 °C, High -4 °C; light ridge wind; freezing level: 1500m.
Sunday: Cloudy with sunny periods; alpine: Low -13 °C, High -8 °C; ridge wind southwest: 10-30 km/h; freezing level: valley bottom.
Warm temperature have resulted in warm moist conditions at TL and BTL. The snowpack is highly variable throughout the forecast region. A moist upper snowpack overlies a supportive mid-pack in the Icefields area. Shallow snowpack areas are week and failing in test results.
Numerous loose wet and slab avalanches on solar aspects up to size 2, mostly at TL and BTL throughout the forecast region.
