North Columbia

50-80 cm of new snow and strong winds over the past three days have increased the avalanche danger, conservative terrain selection is critical

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Snowfall will continue through Saturday night bringing a total of 15-25 cm of new snow by Sunday morning. Sunday will have light flurries with accumulations up to 5 cm, treeline temperatures around -5, and light winds from the southwest. No precipitation is forecasted for Monday or Tuesday, as temperatures will drop and winds shift to the northwest.

On Friday, a cycle of natural size 2 storm slabs was reported in southern parts of the region. Storm slabs were also reactive to ski cuts and skier triggering at treeline elevations on Friday and Saturday. The size and likelihood of storm slab avalanches will increase with the addition of new snow and sustained southwesterly winds.

15-25 cm of new snow on Saturday brings the three-day storm total to 50-80 cm, with the greatest amounts northwest of Revelstoke in the Monashees. Sustained southwesterly winds have redistributed this new snow, forming extra deep pockets and very touchy storm slabs. The mid-November crust is now buried 60-100 cm deep, and although recent reports suggest the snow is bonding well to the crust, it could eventually develop into a persistent slab problem. Below the crust the snowpack is generally well bonded. Limited observations suggest snowpack depths are 100-160 cm at treeline. Snowpack depths substantially decrease below 1600 m.