Avalanche Forecast

Fair

Synopsis: A series of frontal systems will affect the South Coast over the next few days bringing steady precipitation and gradual cooling to near seasonal temperatures. Tonight and Friday: Moderate to locally heavy precipitation – 10-15 cm overnight and another 15-25 cm during the day. The snow line should drop from to around 1400 m by the morning. Winds are moderate from the southwest. Saturday: Expect another 5-15 cm, mainly in the morning. The freezing level continues to drop to around 1200 m and winds remain moderate from the southwest.  Sunday: Most likely a drier day but we should still see mainly cloudy skies and flurries. The daytime freezing level hovers around 1200-1400 m.

One recent size 3 wet slab was observed in the backcountry near Whistler on Wednesday. This slide occurred on a south facing slope. A few small loose wet avalanches were also reported on steep solar aspects during the day.

New snow may not initially bond well to the previous snow surface, which potentially includes a melt-freeze crust, moist or wet snow, or pockets of surface hoar. Also, expect pockets of wind slab to form in exposed lee terrain in the alpine as winds pick up on Thursday night. The upper snowpack at lower elevations has become isothermal from recent warm temperatures. Adding rain to this on Friday could trigger loose wet sluffs or wet slabs in steep terrain. Cornices are very large and could pop off with continued mild temperatures.