Be cautious when entering areas where the surface snow is heavy and dense. Slab thickness and density will increase with warm temperatures and easterly winds, especially at lower elevations.
Easterly winds will alter the snow in commonly sheltered areas. The deepest and touchiest deposits will be areas that wind is actively depositing snow.
A variety of buried weak layers have been stressed by the sudden hit of new snow load. Very large, destructive avalanches are possible.
Recent reports of natural avalanches size 2-3 south of the Skeena as well as natural and skier triggered storm slabs and loose dry avalanches out of steep terrain. A large natural windslab cycle to size 3.5 was reported near Stewart, with debris running far and fast.
40-60 cm of new snow has been loaded into leeward terrain features at wind-exposed elevations, while remaining soft and fluffy in sheltered areas.
A layer of small surface hoar or facets is now buried over 80 cm deep. A facet/crust layer formed in late January exists around 150 cm deep. Large avalanches were suspected to have run on this layer over a week ago.
The lower snowpack is generally well consolidated but as you move further inland where the snowpack is thinner, basal instabilities linger.
The total height of snow in the alpine varies between 450 cm near the coast and 250 cm further inland.
Friday night
Scattered flurries. Light southerly wind. Alpine low -8 ºC.
Saturday
Clear in the morning becoming cloudy in the afternoon. Possible flurries. Winds east up to 30 km/h except 15 km/h above 2000m. Freezing level up to 900 m, except -12 ºC in the alpine.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. Moderate easterly wind at valley bottom, except light westerly in the alpine. Alpine high -12 ºC.
Monday
Mostly sunny. Southerly winds becoming moderate in the afternoon. Alpine high -13 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
