South Coast Inland

 Heightened avalanche conditions exist on wind loaded slopes. In the north of the region, the likelihood of triggering deeply buried weak weak layers is reducing, however the consequences of doing so are still high. 

Friday Night: Mainly cloudy, light southwest wind, alpine high -7, freezing level 500 m.

Saturday: Mainly cloudy with sunny breaks, light to moderate southwest wind, alpine high -5, freezing level 700 m.

Sunday: Mainly cloudy with flurries, moderate southwest wind, alpine high -3, freezing level 900 m.

Monday: Periods of snow, moderate to strong southwest wind, alpine high -1, freezing level 1200 m.

Reports from Wednesday include a human triggered size 2 storm slab avalanche at 2000 m on a north aspect in the Duffey Lake area. As well a few natural size 1-1.5 naturally triggered windslabs in the alpine. On Tuesday there was a size 2 persistent slab avalanche reported on Joffre Shoulder. See this MIN report for more details.

Snow from last week has been redistributed at upper elevations. In sheltered areas below treeline, the most recent snow may be sitting on surface hoar. 

A melt-freeze crust from early December is found around 80 to 180 cm deep in the snowpack. This crust may have surface hoar or sugary faceted grains sitting above it. This persistent weak layer is most prevalent in the north (e.g., Duffey Lake, Hurley).

• Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a deep persistent slab.
• If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.