Avalanche Forecast
Regions: South Coast.
Watch for wind slabs, particularly on southeast facing slopes as the wind shifts around to the northwest.
Confidence
Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the speed, direction, or duration of the wind and its effect on the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
Monday night: Dry with moderate northwesterly winds.
Tuesday: Flurries. Moderate northwesterly winds. Freezing level around 1000 m.
Wednesday: Dry with some sunny breaks. Light northwesterly winds. Freezing level around 1000 m.
Thursday: 10-15 cm new snow. Moderate southwesterly winds. Freezing level around 900 m.
Avalanche Summary
A small skier triggered slab avalanche was reported on Saturday (see this MIN report). Similar avalanches might be expected under the current conditions in wind-affected areas.
Snowpack Summary
Winds are expected to shift to the northwest quadrant, which is likely to build wind slabs on southeast aspects. Warmer temperatures have densified the upper snow pack. There is around 30 recent new snow that sits on a thick rain crust. The snowpack below the crust consists of moist to wet snow and is well settled. Snowpack depths are suspected to be in the range of 150-250 cm around the peaks of the north shore mountains (1400 m), tapering quickly with elevation to almost nothing below 1000 m.
Terrain and Travel
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
- Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2