There is considerable variability across the region in terms of new snow amounts (higher in the Coquihalla and Allison Passes). Be locally aware as to what's happening where you are traveling.
Summary
Confidence
Fair
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Expect clouds to lift and precipitation to tail off, replaced by mixed skies later in the day. Winds should be light from the north with alpine temperatures reaching -4.Friday: Mostly sunny, with continued light northerly winds and temperatures reaching -4.Saturday: The ridge remains in place, yielding light northerlies and mostly sunny skies. Alpine temperatures may reach -1 with the freezing level climbing to 1200m.
Avalanche Summary
Natural activity up to size 2.0 has been observed on northeast aspects where the recent storm snow is 25cm or deeper. Be locally aware of how much new snow you are dealing with.
Snowpack Summary
Dribs and drabs of new snow continues, with occasional heavier pulses. Consistent southwesterly winds have redistributed this into fresh windslabs on lee terrain features in the alpine and at treeline. The newly buried surfaces are old wind slabs (behind ridges, ribs and on lee slopes) and sun crusts on south and west facing slopes. In isolated locations, this interface is small surface hoar. Overall the storm snow is settling and bonding well with poorer bonding observed on solar aspects with a well developed crust.The January 23rd interface (crusts, facets and surface hoar crystals) lingers. Recently, this layer has been reactive only in sheltered areas at and below treeline where the surface hoar lingers. A partial block RB6 is the only recent test score that we have seen on this interface (Duffey Lake area). The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled.
mpeter,
Avalanche Canada
