Forecast light snow and moderate winds may continue to develop wind slabs in the alpine and at treeline.
Confidence
Moderate - Wind speed and direction is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Light snow and moderate southwest winds overnight, expect a couple of cm by morning. Alpine temperatures around -15 on Sunday with moderate westerly winds and overcast skies. Clear and cold on Monday with alpine temperatures around -20 and moderate northwest winds. Clear and cold on Tuesday with light north winds.
Avalanche Summary
A few skier triggered wind slabs size 1.0 were reported from the Monashees. One size 2.5 glide slab was reported that released in the last 48 hours.
Snowpack Summary
In most areas there is 30-50 cm of recent storm snow that has stayed unconsolidated except where it has been transported into wind slabs. The surface snow has been facetting due to the cold temperatures, and some surface hoar has been developing in isolated areas. The mid-pack has been reported to be well settled above above a crust that was buried in mid-november. This crust may be buried less than a metre to close to 2 metres deep, depending on elevation and previous exposure to winds. Snowpack tests on the crust have shown variable results from sudden and planar to no result. Professionals continue to monitor this crust and are watching for facet development above and below that may increase reactivity. The basal layers of the snowpack continue to be reported to be moist in some of the deeper snowpack areas 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.