Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations

An arctic high continues to dominate the weather pattern over western Canada and is not forecast to move out of the area until Tuesday or Wednesday next week.  In the meantime, an above-freezing layer (AFL) of air will pass through the region between 1500 and 3000m bringing temperatures in that elevation band to as high as +5°c., especially on solar aspects.   Arctic air pooling in the valley bottoms will keep the temperatures well below freezing until the next storm system flushes out the cold air.

Some surface sluffing of storm snow noted on S aspects in steep terrain, but the wind slabs left over from the most recent wind events are still lurking out there.  Exercise caution on steep solar aspects during periods of intense warming.

The snowpack has been described by local observers as "extremely variable", with wind effect in all open alpine areas from the Northerly winds after the last storm. Surface hoar is widespread and has been observed to 4mm in sheltered locations, while windward slopes have been scoured down to bare rock in many parts of the region. Cold arctic air and temps down to -20 in some areas are promoting surface facetting. Previously discussed surface hoar, crust, and  facet layers appear to be non-reactive with the exception of the surface hoar buried on Nov. 24th.  Some reported sluffing in steep terrain suspected on this layer where it  still exists.  The above-freezing-layer now moving through the region could dramatically alter the snowpack.