Avalanche Forecast

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40cm of new snow fell in the north of the region over Friday and Saturday while winds have eased to light and shifted from southwesterly to easterly. Isolated lingering flurries are expected on Sunday with cooling temperatures and light winds shifting to northwesterly. A continued drying and cooling trend is expected Monday and Tuesday.

A report of a small cornice failure triggering a size 1 storm slab at treeline can be found on the MIN. Another MIN report from Tuesday details a natural Size 2 storm slab avalanche on a steep fan below a large alpine face in the Glacier Creek area. New and continued snowfall is increasing concerns for touchy slabs and cornices forming at higher elevations and in exposed terrain.

Up to 40cm of new snow has fallen in the past 48 hours. Moderate to strong winds that accompanied the snowfall have contributed to the touchy cornices and wind slabs forming at treeline and above. The storm snow since Nov 13 has now accumulated to 60+cm and has settled into a cohesive slab over the hard November 13 crust. 6mm surface hoar has been observed above the crust on north aspects at higher elevations and has yielded easy to moderate snowpack test results. Total snowpack depth has exceeded one metre in the North Purcells. The snowpack below treeline is creeping toward threshold for avalanches, but early season hazards such as hidden rocks, stumps, and open creeks remain the primary hazard here.