Avalanche Forecast

High - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.

Sunday night: Cloudy with continuing snowfall bringing 10-20 cm of new snow. Light southeast winds.

Monday: Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing another 10 cm of new snow, with 2-day snow totals reaching about 30-40 cm, continuing overnight. Light south winds. Treeline high temperatures around -6.

Tuesday: Cloudy with continuing isolated flurries and a final trace of new snow, with 3-day snow totals around 40-50 cm. Moderate southeast winds. Treeline high temperatures around -6.

Wednesday: Cloudy with scattered flurries continuing from overnight and about 5 total cm of new snow. Light southeast winds. Treeline high temperatures around -7.

We don't yet have reports of avalanche activity from the initial hours of the storm, but it's safe to assume that conditions are becoming increasingly touchy as sufficient snow falls to form slabs over the range of weak surfaces that have been buried.

Looking forward to Sunday, expect touchy avalanche conditions to continue, with slabs equal to the depth of newly accumulated snow likely to release naturally or with human triggers on sufficiently steep slopes.

30-40 cm of dry snow is expected to accumulate in the region by the end of the day on Monday. The new snow has already buried a widespread crust which recently began to facet as well as form surface hoar crystals on top, especially on north aspects. New snow is not expected to bond well with this surface! 

Under the frozen block, the remainder of the snowpack is well consolidated.

Click here to watch North Shore Rescue's recent snowpack conditions update, which includes a great explanation of persistent weak layer formation.

• Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
• Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.