Intense convective flurry activity isolated to the far south of the region has the potential bring 10-20 cm of new snow overnight Monday. Areas further north are expected to have seen only scattered flurries. Wind slabs in alpine terrain are the main concern.
Intense convective flurry activity in the southern portion of the region around Allison Pass is expected to have accumulated 10-20 cm of new snow Monday night. This combined with winds switching west to north will develop slabs on a variety of aspects. Don't forget about other early-season hazards that are lurking just beneath this snow, such as rocks, trees, and creeks.
MONDAY Night: Convective flurries, 10-20 cm accumulation possible isolated to the southern portion of the region around Allison Pass, light north wind, alpine temperature -5 C, freezing level 400 m
TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northeast wind, alpine temperature -9 C, freezing level valley bottom.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level valley bottom.
THURSDAY: Mainly sunny, light northeast wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level valley bottom.
Observations are very limited right now, with recreationists just starting to get into the mountains and operations starting up. We haven't received any reports of recent avalanche activity. The most likely place to trigger an avalanche would be where the ground is smooth, such as on glaciers, rock slabs, scree slopes, or grassy slopes.
If you see anything while out in the field, please consider sharing that information with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
10-20cm of new snow may have accumulated Monday through the day and night in the Coquihalla and Allison Pass areas. Areas further north were expected to receive up to 5 cm. The new snow will cover bare ground below treeline, and around 50 cm of hard snow intermixed with trees and rocks at treeline and alpine elevations.
The new snow may not bond well to the previous snow surface at higher elevations. Use particular caution where the snow surface appears smooth, as this may mean an avalanche could propagate over a wider area.
