South Coast

Unusual persistent slabs continue to produce very large human triggered avalanches. See the latest forecaster blog for a more in depth look at this situation: http://bit.ly/1HHQrK2

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday

Expect up to 5 cm of fresh snow by Saturday morning falling under moderate to strong southwesterly winds with freezing levels back down to 1700 m. Continued light snow flurries and moderate winds are expected Saturday morning before a stronger system brings another 5 cm overnight and 10-20 cm throughout the day on Sunday, with another 10-20 cm on Monday. Freezing levels hovering around 1700 m and strong southwesterly winds expected during the height of the storm on Sunday.

Over the past week, there have been a number of avalanches to size 2.5 occurring on the mid-March persistent weak layer. Some avalanches have occurred naturally and many have been remote triggered from up to 100m away.

Warm temperatures and light rain have promoted settlement within the most recent recent storm snow, but the region has a very serious persistent slab problem just under the surface. A touchy crust/facet interface known as the mid-March persistent weak layer is down 40 to 120 cm. This persistent weak layer continues to produce sudden test results at upper treeline and alpine elevations, especially in the north of the region. Below this, the snowpack is reported to be generally well-settled and strong.