While cooler temperatures are healing the rain-soaked snowpack, avalanche hazard is INCREASING with the formation of a storm instability over a widespread crust.
Weather Forecast
Unsettled weather and flurries persist into the weekend with 40cm of accumulation expected by late Saturday. A fast moving storm front will track across the province today bring strong SW winds and 8cm of snow to Rogers Pass. Freezing level rises to 1100m.
Snowpack Summary
30cm of dry surface snow sits atop the Nov 23/26 crust complex at tree line. This crust is 2-4cm thick and is mostly supportive to skiers above 1700m. Below the crust the snowpack is moist and weak. At higher elevations the Oct. 31 crust survived the rain and is down ~120cm. Strong southerly winds created pockets of wind slab in the alpine.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed in the highway corridor.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
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.