Recent snowfall is hiding early season hazards - extra caution is advised. If you are out in the mountains please send us your observations! (forecaster@avalanche.ca).
Summary
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Overview: There is a brief lull in the weather this weekend before a series of strong frontal systems cross the province early next week. The first system should arrive on Monday bringing moderate amounts of precipitation (15-25 mm), heaviest in the North Columbia regions. Freezing levels will likely be between 1000 and 1500m and ridge winds could be strong from the southwest. The next even stronger system arrives shortly after but appears to be taking a more southerly route. Recent model runs are showing the brunt of this system south of the border. If this is the case we will probably only see light to moderate accumulations and not much change in freezing levels.
Avalanche Summary
Currently there are no recent avalanche reports, however; there is enough snow at higher elevations (treeline and alpine) where certain avalanche problems may exist.
Snowpack Summary
Welcome to winter! Its that time of year where winter is slowing winding up and observations are limited. The snowpack is thin and variable, early season conditions and hazards exist. Recent reports suggest that the total snowpack in the alpine is 50-80 cm. Pockets of wind slab may exist on leeward slopes at upper elevations. Weather station data shows 15-30 cm of recent snow, which sits on a series of weak crystals (crusts,
surface hoar,
facets). This new snow may have a poor bond to the previous surfaces. A solid crust that formed early November is buried below the surface around 20-30 cm down in many places at treeline and above. The new snow will hide early season hazards like crevasses, rocks, and stumps and gaining access to upper elevations is extremely challenging.
Peter,
Avalanche Canada
