Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Northwest Coastal.
Confidence
Good
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure should maintain mostly dry and sunny conditions throughout the forecast period. There is a chance of more cloud and light precipitation on Monday if a forecast frontal system pushes a little further north. The freezing level is around 900m on Saturday and 1200-1500m on Sunday and Monday. Winds are generally light from the south.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday there were reports of a couple small (Size 1) accidentally triggered slab avalanches in steep, exposed, lee terrain features. There were also loose-wet avalanches up to Size 1.5 from steep solar aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate SE winds have created thin wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain. 20-40cm of new snow sits on the previous snow surface which included a sun crust on southerly aspects, surface facets or surface hoar in cool shady areas, and pockets of wind slab in exposed terrain. A variety of potential weak layers exist between 60 and 120cm deep. These include surface hoar or facets. There has been no recent activity on these layers but they could wake up with heavy triggers like a large cornice chunk or a snowmobile digging its track in. Cornices in the region are reported to be very large and potentially unstable.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 3
Loose Wet
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 3
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 6