Danger ratings on Wednesday/ Thursday are set for the Coquihalla, and will be lower elsewhere.
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain for the entire period
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Moderate to strong SW wind. Alpine temperature near +3, dropping during the day. Light snow.Wednesday: Moderate S wind. Alpine temperature near -6. Moderate snow (locally heavy on the Coquihalla).Thursday: Light snow. Winds and snow increasing late in the day.
Avalanche Summary
Recent observations mostly involve snowballing and wet loose avalanches to size 2 on sun-exposed slopes. Ongoing wet loose avalanche activity is quite likely with forecast warm temperatures.
Snowpack Summary
Unseasonably warm temperatures in the alpine have led to a melt-freeze cycle on sun-exposed slopes. Wind-affected surfaces are found at treeline and above. Large surface hoar crystals are growing in sheltered terrain below treeline.A surface hoar layer buried down 40-80 cm seems to be gaining strength. Near the base of the snowpack, a crust/facet layer exists, which is now unlikely to be triggered, except perhaps by warming or heavy triggers in unsupported, shallow, rocky terrain where more faceting has taken place.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.