New snow on a variety of crusts may be problematic for a few days. Make conservative terrain choices to stay safe.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
The warm warm temperatures and sunny skies of today will be replaced by cooler temperatures and precipitation as a Pacific cold front crosses the coast and moves into the South Coast Inland area. SUNDAY: Freezing level lowers briefly to around 1000 m. overnight, and 15 to 20 cm of snow possible, light southwest winds are forecast. MONDAY: Sunny skies with some cloudy periods, precipitation forecast for early in the morning, clearing up in the afternoon, freezing level climbing to 1700 m, winds from the south. TUESDAY: Freezing level from Monday night will be the low for the next few days at 1200 m. Temperatures will rise close to 2500 m. in the next few days as a ridge of high pressure begins its domination of the weather forecast for the remainder of the week.For more detailed mountain weather information visit: https://avalanche.ca/weather
Avalanche Summary
Reports from yesterday tell of new snow sluffing in steep terrain on melt freeze crusts, along with loose-wet avalanches up to size 1.5.
Snowpack Summary
10 to 20cm of recent storm snow overlies multiple solar and melt-freeze crusts on all aspects up to 2000 m. Slightly more snow fell in the south of the region where they received 20 to 25 cm of snow. The storm featured moderate south/southwest winds that formed wind slabs on lee slopes around treeline and above. Below the new snow, the snowpack is strong and well-settled throughout with no notable persistent weaknesses, however, cornices are are reported to be huge and fragile.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.