Summary
Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Wednesday
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Cloudy with flurries – 5-10 cm. The freezing level is around 1500 m and ridge winds are light to moderate from the W-SW.Thursday: Cloudy with flurries. The freezing level is around 1400 m and ridge winds are light.Friday: Cloudy with flurries. The freezing level is around 1600 m and ridge winds are light gusting to moderate.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity on the weekend was primarily reported as loose snow sluffing in steep terrain and a few rider triggered slab avalanches involving the recent storm snow. None of the recent activity has stepped down to deeper persistent weaknesses.
Snowpack Summary
Snow totals from the last week are 25 - 50cm. This makes for 55 - 80cm on top of the March 10th crust. This crust is widespread to 2000m across the region, perhaps even higher on solar aspects. There are reports of the crust being as thick as 15cm in the south of the region, but it varies in thickness and supportability. As you head north in the region where the mountains are higher (and temperatures were colder when the crust was forming), this crust is less likely to exist. If you're heading to the north or the region, it's worth checking out the South Columbia bulletin too.A facet/crust persistent weakness buried at the beginning of February, now down 70 - 200cm, has been highly variable in terms of reactivity but still shows 'sudden' results in some snowpack tests. In areas where the strong and supportive near surface crust exists, triggering this layer has become unlikely. That said, this layer is still difficult to trust and any avalanche at these deeper, persistent interfaces would be large and destructive.
mbender,
Avalanche Canada
