North Columbia

Dry snow can be found on high north-facing slopes, but this is also where triggering slab avalanches remains possible.

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SATURDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy, light southwest wind, alpine temperatures drop to -3 C.SUNDAY: Scattered flurries with sunny breaks and localized accumulations of 5 cm at higher elevations, light west wind, freezing level to 1800 m.MONDAY: A mix of sun and cloud, light northwest wind, freezing level to 1800 m.TUESDAY: Sunny, light wind, freezing level to 1800 m.

On Friday a few large (size 2-3) skier triggered slab avalanches were reported on north-facing slopes above 2300 m. This highlights the fact winter-like conditions can still be found in shaded alpine terrain, as several other size 1-2 slab avalanches have been reported in this type of terrain over the past few days. Elsewhere, the predominant avalanche activity has been loose wet avalanches on sun-exposed slopes (mostly south and west facing).

Most slopes have entered a daily melt-freeze cycle, with the exception of north-facing slopes above roughly 1800 m. On these colder slopes, you may find 10-30 cm of dry powder or isolated wind slabs. These same slopes may also have a layer of faceted grains buried 50 to 70 cm below the surface that has been responsible for several slab avalanches over the past few days. Elsewhere, the surface has been melting each day and then freezing into a hard crust overnight. Snow is disappearing rapidly at lower elevations.