New snow and wind are expected to continue to develop new wind slabs and add to recent cornice growth.
Summary
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
Overnight: Flurries or light snow with strong southwest winds and freezing to valley bottoms by morning. Saturday: Overcast with 3-5 cm of new snow combined with moderate westerly winds and daytime freezing up to 1100 metres. Sunday: Broken skies with light westerly winds and daytime freezing up to 800 metres. Monday: Mostly sunny with light winds and daytime freezing up to 1200 metres.
Avalanche Summary
A natural cornice fall released a wind slab or perhaps a persistent slab on a northeast aspect that was size 2.5; this was reported from the Microwave on Thursday but may have occurred on Wednesday. You can see the full MIN report
here. Storm slabs up to size 2.5 were reported from the western extent of the region in the Howson's, where the snowpack is more like the Northwest Coastal region. No new avalanches reported from the rest of the region.
Snowpack Summary
Light snow combined with moderate southwest winds has developed wind slabs in the alpine and in some exposed treeline locations. Periods of sun and high daytime freezing levels have developed crusts below treeline and on sun exposed terrain at all elevations. The snow may be moist or wet below treeline during the warmest part of the day. The Mid-February crust and facet layer was reported to be down 75-90 cm in the Houston Telkwas sled area on Wednesday. The deep persistent weak layer of facets and/or a crust that were buried early in the winter are still lingering near the bottom of the snowpack. This
MIN report found the deep weak layer strengthening in the Telkwas.
triley,
Avalanche Canada
