A storm is hitting the Coastal ranges tonight and may spill over in this region.
Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 20 cm of new snow Friday.
Relentless southerly winds will keep transporting dry snow to develop wind slabs at upper elevations. As they form, they will be increasingly creative. Rider-triggerable avalanches will be possible, especially on steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
Numerous thin natural wind slabs were observed in unsupported lee features in alpine and at treeline. Tuesday, a skier accidentally triggered a storm slab/wind slab from a north-facing alpine slope on Face Mountain. Monday, solar-triggered loose wet avalanches were observed out of steep south aspects.
Old evidence of loose dry avalanches out of steep, north-facing terrain near treeline and loose wet avalanches out of steep solar aspects at all elevations may still be visible.
Surfaces are variable according to aspects and elevations. On solar aspects and low elevations, a moist or crusty surface exists. At upper elevations, shady wind-sheltered areas hold dry, low-density snow. The most recent storm from last week left 15-20 cm of snow which sits over various surfaces including melt-freeze crust. Low elevations are melting out rapidly.
A weak layer of sugary facets is still prominent at the base of the snowpack. Although we haven't seen avalanche activity on it for some time, it could reactivate with sudden changes like prolonged or intense warming shocking the snowpack. Large loads like cornice falls are likely to trigger this layer, but human triggering may be possible in rocky, shallow, or thin-to-thick snowpack areas.
Warm and windy conditions will continue to impact the region as a frontal system moves into the South Coast ranges. Another system will bring ongoing precipitations for the weekend.
Thursday night
Cloudy. Isolated flurries. 5-10 cm. Strong southerly wind gusting 50 km/h. Alpine low -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1600 m.
Friday
Cloudy. Isolated flurries. Strong southwest wind gusting 60 km/h Alpine high -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1800 m.
Saturday
Cloudy. Isolated flurries 5-10 cm. Strong southwest wind gusting 60 km/h Alpine high -5 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.
Sunday
Snow 15-20 cm. Strong southwest wind gusting 50 km/h Alpine high -5 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
