Bits of sun and lighter winds should make for a good day to explore the hills on Friday.
Travel one at a time, and be sure there is no wind slab hazard before putting yourself on a large slope.
Lingering wind slab may still avalanche under the weight of a human or snowmobile. Back off to mellower slopes if you see shooting cracks or recent avalanches, and be sure you know what conditions are at the top before climbing a steep slope.
No recent avalanches have been reported.
Looking forward through weekend, we think that human and naturally triggered avalanches will become more likely with each storm.
If you are getting out in the hills this weekend, consider sharing a couple photos and a few words on a MIN post. Or try out posting on our new Beta App. Downloading the app might take some time, but once you've got it, posting should be easier on a phone.
Recent storms have delivered more snow to the south end of the forecast area where you can expect to find deeper total snow depths and deeper pockets of soft snow in areas protected from the wind.
West facing slopes are stripped back to rock or crust in most places, and east facing slopes are more loaded with snow, up to 3 m deep.
60-80 cm deep, there is a thick and strong crust that formed in mid-March. In some places, this crust has a thin layer of weak sugary crystals on top. However, most of our evidence suggests that the snowpack is generally well stuck to the crust, and it is not an avalanche problem.
Use caution in hot bog areas where weak new snow bridges may hide hollowed out creek holes.
Thursday Night
Clear skies. 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.
Friday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline (around 500 m) temperature -10 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow, with the potential of as much as 15 cm South of Corner Brook. 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind in the morning, increasing to 60 km/h by the afternoon. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. Possible moderate to heavy snow (20-30 cm). Ice pellets, rain, or freezing rain possible in the south end of the forecast area (10-15 mm) depending on timing and track of the incoming storm and rising freezing levels. 60 km/h northwest ridgetop wind overnight, calm mid-day, ramping up again in the afternoon/evening to 100 km/h. Daytime treeline temperature -11 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
