Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

An arctic air mass is still sitting over much of BC however a series of fronts will start to drive the cold air out of the region late this week.Monday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Precipitation: Chance of flurries overnight. Alpine temperature: High -20. Ridge Winds: Light west. Freezing level at valley bottom.Tuesday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperatures: High -15, Ridge Winds: Light west. Freezing level at valley bottom.Wednesday: Mainly cloudy.. Alpine temperatures: High -15, Ridge winds: Light south-west. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Small natural windslab avalanches have been observed at treeline and in the alpine around Nelson.

The recent cold temperatures have driven faceting in the upper snowpack and surface hoar growth is being reported in some areas. The snow that fell last week is sitting above a buried weak layer of surface hoar found on north facing slopes and a crust on steep solar aspects. In many places the upper snowpack has not yet settled into a slab. However, in open areas this snow has be redistributed by the recent north to east winds forming windslabs at ridge-top and in cross loaded features. There are reports of a deeply buried early season crust that formed in October, this layer is more likely to be found in the high alpine on northerly aspects.