Wind slabs continue to be a problem at higher elevations. Avalanche danger increasing with new storm on Friday.
Confidence
Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Friday
Weather Forecast
Becoming overcast during the day on Thursday as a storm pushes inland from the coast. A few cm should accumulate on Thursday with another 5-10 cm by Friday morning combined with strong southerly winds. Continued snow and moderate southerly winds on Friday. Flurries with periods of broken skies on Saturday. The next storm should develop on Saturday night
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches reported.
Snowpack Summary
40-50cm of snow from last weekend's storm was shifted by strong winds into much deeper deposits in high elevation lee terrain. In the Coquihalla area, reports suggest weak surface hoar may exist below the recent storm snow, although there is some uncertainty as to its distribution and reactivity. This interface may be something to keep an eye on as the overlying slab gets deeper and gains cohesion. You'll likely find a hard rain crust buried approximately 100cm below the surface. This rain crust extends up to about 2000m.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.