Plan to carefully evaluate terrain and choose to avoid areas below ridgetop with deep pillows of freshly loaded snow.
Wind slabs are likely to have formed at higher elevations near ridge top where new snow has been loaded into leeward terrain features.
Expect deeper storm slab development in areas with protection from the wind.
There have been no recent avalanche reports in the region.
If you are going out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Strong winds during this past storm event are likely to have stripped snow from exposed alpine features and transported it to lee north aspect terrain. In wind-sheltered, open terrain this new snowfall is expected to have buried surface hoar. A thin melt-freeze crust on south-facing slopes in the alpine has likely become buried down a estimated 10 to 25 cm.
In the alpine, an estimated 30 to 50 cm of snow sits above a thin crust. At lower elevations, 10 to 20 cm of snow sits above a more robust crust. The snow is moist below the crust.
Snow depths at treeline vary across the region. Around 105 cm is reported in the Coquihalla and 80 cm near Manning Park.
Sunday Night
Clearing. 10 to 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 500 m.
Monday
Snow 5 to 10 cm. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Tuesday
Snow 1 to 5 cm. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m
Wednesday
Rain and Snow 20 to 40 mm. 50 to 70 km/h soutwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
