Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Confidence
Fair - Due to limited field observations on Sunday
Weather Forecast
Monday: A mix of sun and cloud / Moderate west winds / Freezing level at 600mTuesday: Increased cloud with moderate snowfall developing late in the day-continuing overnight / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 600mWednesday: Light snowfall / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 400m
Avalanche Summary
There were a few glide crack releases to size 2.5 below treeline in the north of the region. I would expect a round of wind slab activity in response to new snow and wind on Saturday night.
Snowpack Summary
Light to locally moderate amounts of new snow now overlie a variety of old surfaces which include: a crust at lower elevations and on solar aspects; old wind slabs in exposed areas, and fairly widespread large surface hoar. Moderate to locally extreme west/southwest winds will have, no doubt, shifted the new snow into soft and hard wind slabs in exposed terrain. I would expect the new snow to be quite reactive, especially where it overlies the surface hoar which was buried on March 9th. This interface is likely to be one to watch as the overlying slab develops.The mid snowpack layers are generally well settled and strong. Facets at the base of the snowpack may resurface as a concern now that spring warming is on the doorstep and full-depth releases are becoming more likely (primarily in the northern part of the region).
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.