On Sunday, the cold temperatures in the morning will quickly give way to warmer weather as the sun shines out in the afternoon. Adjust your choice of routes and runs to suit the changing conditions throughout the day.
With the addition of fresh snow and wind, new small, wind-reactive slabs may form beneath ridges and convex features in alpine terrain, as well as in areas subject to lateral loading. Their bond with the underlying crust is uncertain.
Warm temperatures and sunshine could warm the surface snow sufficiently to trigger small avalanches of loose, wet snow. Be aware of steep slopes, areas near rocky outcrops and terrain traps should a small avalanche occur.
No new avalanches have been reported or observed.
If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
The fresh, rather moist snow has settled on a thin crust on sun-facing slopes. West-facing slopes are generally bare, with the deepest accumulations found on south and east facing slopes.
In areas sheltered from the wind, between 25 and 50 cm of snow lies on a widespread refrozen crust. Beneath this crust, the snowpack is well consolidated. The snow is generally moist in the top 10 to 20 cm, except on north-facing slopes near the summits where it has remained slightly drier.
WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND PEAKS
A high-pressure system will bring clear skies, sunshine and warm weather on Saturday.
Saturday evening and overnight: Light snow in the evening, 2–4 cm, then clearing. North-westerly winds of 30–60 km/h. Low -10.
Sunday: Sunny. North-westerly wind 20–40 km/h. Maximum -1°C. Freezing level at 350 m.
Monday: Rain and/or snow. South-westerly wind 30–60 km/h. Maximum +2°C. Freezing level at 1,100 m.
Tuesday: Clearing. North-westerly wind 20–40 km/h. Maximum +1°C. Freezing level at 850 m.
For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
