There have been several reports of large avalanches in and around the forecast region. The best and safest skiing will be on sheltered tree-line slopes.
Weather Forecast
Light snow and flurries will continue through Friday and Saturday with totals reaching 10 cm. Continued mod SW winds will be moving this snow into slabs on lee aspects. Temperature trending cooler with improving overnight recovery. Clear skies by Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate SW winds have built wind slab at tree-line and above. These slabs may be up to 40cm thick and are weekly bonded to the snowpack below. The mid-pack consists of buried wind and persistent slab with a failure plane down 60cms. In the valley bottom the snowpack is very week and unconsolidated making for tough trail breaking.
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches reported today and no avalanche patrol was conducted. Recent large isolated avalanches to size 3 have been reported in the alpine in Whistler Creek drainage. Remote triggering of slab avalanches is possible at tree-line and above in wind loaded features.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Friday
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.