Investigate how the new snow is bonding to the underlying layers in your area.
Snowfall amounts vary greatly.
New snow and strong winds may have formed new wind slabs in lee terrain near ridgetops. These slabs may not bond well with old snow surfaces. Assess for slabs prior to committing to consequential terrain.
Explosives broke off chunks of cornices on Monday. We haven't received recent reports of slabs being pulled below the falling cornices.
Looking towards Thursday, riders could trigger newly formed wind slabs at higher elevations.
Please consider submitting a MIN to let us know what you're seeing out there.
Around 10 to 25 cm of new snow has accumulated by Wednesday afternoon above 1500 m, while rain falls at lower elevations. The snow will be blown around by strong southwest wind, which may form wind slabs in lee terrain features near ridgetop. This new snow sits on moist snow or a hard melt-freeze crust.
A thick crust from mid-March is 30-60 cm deep, which extends up to about 2400 m. Near Invermere, a weak layer of facets may be found above this crust.
Facets are found near the bottom of the snowpack in shallow alpine snowpack areas. The lower snowpack is strong in deep snowpack areas.
The snowpack continues to melt at lower elevations.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. Up to 5 cm of snow. 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Friday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
