Northwest Inland

Sunday's snowfall amounts varied greatly across the region. Where more snow fell, the avalanche danger may be higher than posted.

No recent avalanches have been reported in this region. There was likely a round of fresh wind slab activity in response to new snow and wind on Sunday night. Despite possible breaks in the weather, fresh wind slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering due to underlying weak crystals.

Low - Due to the number of field observations

Tuesday: 3-10cm of new snow / Strong west winds / Freezing level at 600mWednesday: 5-15cm of new snow / Extreme Southwest winds / Freezing level at 900mThursday: Light flurries with possible sunny breaks / Moderate southwest winds / Freezing level at 500m

Between 3 and 15 cm of new snow fell on Sunday night. Extreme winds have redistributed the new snow into fresh wind slabs in exposed terrain. The new storm snow sits over a highly variable interface resulting from over a week of clear skies, cold temperatures, and strong outflow winds. This mid-December interface consists of scoured surfaces and hard wind slabs in wind exposed terrain, widespread faceting of the upper snowpack, and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The new snow is expected to bond poorly to this interface.Snowpack observations have been very limited recently in the region. The snowpack is very shallow throughout the region and widespread faceting of the entire snowpack is expected in most areas. A thick rain crust that formed in early November is probably near the bottom of the snowpack and is expected to be developing facets. Reports from the Ningunsaw Pass area and the far north of the region suggest that depth hoar is developing in shallow snowpack areas.