Lizard-Flathead

Updated @ 09:30 Sunday: Significant overnight snowfall will make excellent fodder for wind and storm slabs. Evaluate each slope carefully and stay out of the wind today.

Low -

SUNDAY: Flurries overnight Saturday through Sunday, accumulation 10-20cm possible/ Alpine temperature -7 C / Light east windMONDAY: Isolated flurries, accumulation 5-10cm possible Sunday night into Monday morning / Light to moderate west wind / Alpine temperature -8TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light to Moderate west wind / Alpine temperature -9More details can be found on the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Explosives control near Fernie resulted in a deep persistent avalanche on Friday; this avalanche was size 2.5 on a north aspect at 2000 metres, and is believed to have released on the mid-December facets. There was a report on Tuesday of a natural avalanche size 3.5 on Mt Hosmer on an East aspect at 2100 metres that appears to have released on or stepped down to the weak deep persistent layer of sugary facets near the ground. On Wednesday we had a report of a size 3.0 avalanche on "Big Steep Mother" bowl on a northeast aspect at 2100 metres in the alpine in the Lizard range. This avalanche appears to have been started by a cornice fall that released a storm slab that then "stepped down" to deeply buried weak facets.

20 to 40 cm of storm snow from Saturday night now rests upon the 50 to 60 cm of storm snow from last week. This 70 to 100 cm is likely settling into a storm slab in sheltered locations, and is almost certainly forming a wind slab in wind affected terrain. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. If the winds shift direction over the next few days, watch for new wind loading on south-west aspects.