Fresh wind slabs in exposed areas will be the primary concern for Saturday, so seek out sheltered low density snow. Start small if you're easing into steeper terrain and be prepared to step back if you find signs of instability.
Warm temperatures have likely helped our recent storm snow settle and bond to the surface, however thicker, more reactive wind slabs are likely to be found at higher elevations. Keep your guard up around steep slopes below treeline where a stubborn storm slab may still react to a human trigger.
Friday night: Cloudy with easing flurries finishing with about 5 cm of new snow. Light southwest winds.
Saturday: Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light south or southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -4 with freezing levels to 1400 metres.
Sunday: Possible clear periods in the morning, becoming cloudy with light flurries beginning in the afternoon. Light southeast winds, becoming moderate or strong at ridgetop. Alpine high temperatures around -5.
Monday: Cloudy with scattered flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow. Light south winds. Alpine high temperatures around -5.
There were numerous reports on Thursday of natural and human triggered avalanches on all aspects and at all elevation bands. Most of these were size 1-2 storm and wind slab avalanches, with a few larger (size 2.5) cornice and explosives triggered storm slab avalanches. Similar activity was likely throughout the day on Friday.
Looking forward, our recent snow should begin to form a more reliable bond with the old surface while areas of unstable snow become increasingly focused toward wind loaded pockets at higher elevations.
Regular snowfall over the past week brought 30-50 cm of snow to the region. Elevated, mainly south winds over the same period redistributed much of this snow in the alpine and upper treeline while warm temperatures promoted slab formation with each snowfall as well as fairly quick transitions to settlement and bonding of the new snow. Surface snow is now moist or wet from warm temperatures, rain or wet flurries up to at least 1500 metres.
A layer of surface hoar buried 80 to 150 cm deep could still be a concern in certain parts of the Selkriks and the northern end of the Monashees. It exists primarily at treeline and below treeline. This layer has been gaining strength, buy it may still be triggered by large loads in some areas.
