Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Wind-affected snow is found almost everywhere in the region.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY NIGHT: Clear skies, moderate to strong northeast wind alpine temperature -14 C.SUNDAY: Clear skies, moderate to strong northeast wind, alpine temperature -10 C.MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, trace accumulation, moderate northwest wind, alpine temperature -6 C.TUESDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 5 to 10 cm, moderate to strong west wind, alpine temperature -5 C.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed in the region on Friday.
Snowpack Summary
The snow surface has been heavily wind affected. You will likely find a variety of hard slabs, wind-pressed snow, sastrugi, and melt-freeze crust where the wind has scoured down to it. In sheltered areas below treeline, you may find pockets of soft snow that overlies a thick melt-freeze crust. In the south of the region, the remainder of the snowpack is well-settled.Around Bear Pass and in the north of the region, you may find two or three weak layers of feathery surface hoar crystals buried between 50 and 100 cm. The base of the snowpack may also be composed of weak and sugary faceted snow.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.