Regions
South Coast Inland.
With warm temperatures expected to continue for the next few days watch for changing surface conditions. Expect crusts to breakdown quickly with moist or wet snow on solar aspects, while dry snow may still exist in shaded areas.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge winds light from the west. Temperature 1. Freezing level 2000m. WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light from the northeast. Temperature 2. Freezing level 2000m.THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light from the southwest. Temperature 3. Freezing level 3000m.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous loose wet avalanches up to size 2 were observed on northerly aspects along Duffey Lake Road on Sunday. Last week, numerous small loose wet avalanches (size 1) were observed on steep south and west-facing slopes on Wednesday and Thursday, while glide avalanches to size 2 were also observed on steep, smooth rock slabs around the Coquihalla on Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
The recent alpine inversion and warm temperatures have created a variety of surfaces across the region depending on aspect. On southerly aspects, a spring-like surface crust has formed but will breakdown quickly with warm temperatures and high freezing levels expected to continue. On shaded north aspects, surface hoar and surface facets have formed, however at least in the Duffey Lake area, these were moistened and melted by cloudy skies and warm temperatures on Sunday. The upper snowpack is and well settled and appears to have bonded well to the late November rain crust, now 20-50 cm deep. Recent snowpack tests have produced hard, resistant compression test results on small facets associated with this layer. Treeline snow depths are approximately 1 m throughout the region.
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.