Northwest Coastal

New snow throughout the day will increase the likelihood of avalanches.

Retreat to mellower terrain if you find signs of instability like shooting cracks.

New snow is expected to cause an active storm slab avalanche cycle.

If you are getting out in the backcountry, consider making a post on the MIN (Mountain Information Network). You can share riding conditions, avalanche or snowpack observations, even just a photo or two.

Heavy snowfall will add 25 cm to the upper snowpack, making 75 cm of snow that is sitting on a crust from recent high freezing levels and rain.

Spotty surface hoar crystals may still be present in isolated sheltered areas.

The mid and lower snowpack is expected to be strong, with frozen crusts or dense, settled snow.

At treeline around Terrace we expect a snow depth of 100-150 cm. 200-300 cm around Stewart. Snowpack depth gradually thins as elevation decreases to be 50 cm at valley bottoms.

Many early season hazards are just below the surface below treeline.

Thursday Night
Cloudy. up to 3 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Friday
Cloudy. 15 to 25 cm of snow. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 700 m.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 4 to 12 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

Sunday
Cloudy. 15 to 40 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.