Avalanche Forecast

The high pressure ridge continues to dominate the coastal regions. Strong alpine temperature inversions will be prominent with warm air above 1000 m ranging from 0-5 degrees. Moderate to strong outflow winds will prevail in coastal valleys. Valley cloud will accompany the strengthening temperature inversion. Outflow diminishing Saturday as pacific air starts to move into the north. By Sunday the weather pattern may see change, however; timing and intensity of the next Pacific system is hard to pin point due to disagreement between the Canadian model and the GFS.

No new avalanche observations reported.

The snowpack is extremely variable depending on aspect and elevation, with new wind slabs developing on reverse loaded southerly slopes and widespread surface crusts on all aspects at lower elevations. In the alpine, last weekends storm produced stiff wind slabs on northerly aspects, especially in the northern parts of the region. The snowpack doesn't adjust well to rapid change, so it may take several days to adjust and settle with the warm temperatures at higher elevations. Due to limited observations, I have very little confidence in what that underlying structure may be, although I suspect faceting, crusts and surface hoar may exist. However; how are they reacting as shears? Are they visually distinct and reacting like a cash register when tested? Or are they becoming hard to find with a more resistant shear characteristic? If I were traveling in the mountains, I'd maintain an investigative approach and dig down to test for weak layers before committing to a slope.