Regions
Northwest Coastal.
The places you are going to find the best riding conditions in the wake of the storm are probably the same places where the danger from a layer of buried surface hoar is greatest.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number and quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
The next few storms are tracking to the south and are going to largely miss the Northwest regions. FRIDAY: flurries, light southwest wind, freezing level 500m. SATURDAY: flurries, light east winds, freezing level 500m. SUNDAY: clear, moderate northwest winds. Freezing level valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
Widespread avalanche activity was reported throughout the recent storm, with many of these avalanche reported to be releasing on a layer of surface hoar now buried between 70cm and 1m deep
Snowpack Summary
Up to a meter of settled snow now sits upon a layer of buried surface hoar. This layer has the potential for remote triggering and wide propagations. It is likely to be lurking in most sheltered areas at tree-line although it has been spotted well into the alpine in Bear Pass. Southwesterly winds are loading lee features. Below 1500m heavy rains have likely saturated the snow pack and may have formed a new rain crust
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.