Avalanche Forecast

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Weather off the South Coast remains persistent with a solid southerly flow through tonight and tomorrow. Cooler air and strong southerly wind accompanies this low, keeping freezing levels lower than usually expected with these systems. By Tuesday night freezing levels will slightly rise to 1400 m then drop to 800 m or lower for the remainder of the week. The region will continue to receive light-moderate snow amounts.

No recent avalanche activity has been reported. Touchy storm slabs may build at upper elevations, especially in the southern part of the region where more snow is expected through the forecast period.

Snow depths are variable across the region with the snow line sitting around 1300-1400 m and below threshold for avalanche activity. Average snowpack depths at treeline are 60-100 cm with 150 cm plus in the alpine. Feathery surface hoar crystals up to 10 mm are reportedly wide spread around the Gold Bridge area and currently being buried under new snow. This layer may become reactive with additional load. I'm unsure if it exists south in the Duffy. At treeline elevations, 20 cm down exists a thick crust (20-30 cm) with a moist mid pack below. In the alpine this crust is down 50-65 cm. Reports suggest the new snow is sticking to the crust. When traveling in the mountains I’d maintain an investigative approach and dig down to test for weak layers before committing to a slope. If you've been in the mountains, please share your observations on our Mountain Information Network.