Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations

A cold front descending from the North is going to bring between 10 and 20 cm of snow over the next couple of days with the greatest accumulations expected for the mountains around Revelstoke. By Wednesday, a high pressure system will settle over BC bringing several days of chilly but stable weather. Winds will be light from the south on Monday, becoming northerly on Tuesday and Wednesday.

There was apparently lots of traffic in the backcountry over the weekend without any reports of new avalanche activity. However, the presence of wind slabs and the lingering basal weakness on north to east facing terrain in the alpine give me concern that smaller wind slab avalanches could possibly step down to deeper layers.

It sounds like folks found excellent "bottomless" riding conditions over the weekend. The forecast snowfall is expected to bond well to the 50 to 80cm of low density snow that fell last week. At tree-line elevations and above, the new snow may hide pockets of windslab on east and northeast aspects. In the south of the region, this new snow could also hide a surface crust that I suspect extends up into the alpine. Below this, were dealing with a varied snowpack. A couple of layers of surface hoar formed earlier in the month. Where they exist, they are likely to be found down 65 to 140 cm below the surface. Depending on where you dig, you might also find one or more buried crusts. It would be wise to test these layers before committing to a slope. Facets can be found near the ground at higher elevations in the alpine, especially on northerly aspects. Remember that it's still a young snowpack. Rocks and stumps may be lurking unseen just below the surface. Ride with care!