A big storm is forecast, bringing significant snow, rain, strong winds and rising freezing levels.
Avoiding avalanche terrain is strongly recommended.
Ongoing stormy weather is continuing to build widespread reactive slabs. Storm slabs may step down to deeper buried weak layers creating larger avaalnches.
Snow is expected to transition to rain as freezing levels rise to 2000 m. As the surface snow becomes saturated, wet loose avalanches may occur, and in turn could trigger larger storm slabs.
Several explosive and human-triggered avalanches were reported in the Whistler/Blackcomb area over the last few days. These storm slabs ranged from size 1 to 2.5, with some stepping down to deeper buried layers like the Mid-November crust up to 1 m deep.
With continued stormy weather in the forecast, the potential for both human and natural-triggered avalanches remains likely.
Up to 50 mm of precipitation falling as either rain or snow is forecast overnight and throughout Monday. This new snow will add to previous storm slabs that have built over the last few days, which currently overlie older layers such as surface hoar, facets, and crusts.
The freezing level is forecast to rise to around 2000 m by Monday afternoon, which will likely leave the snow surface moist or wet at lower elevations.
A hard mid-November crust currently sits 50–100 cm deep with facets above and below. Some recent storm slabs have stepped down to this layer.
Sunday Night
Cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Monday
Cloudy. 30 to 45 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
