During periods of high hazard, avoid all avalanche terrain.
We expect a large natural avalanche cycle with significant precipitation, warming and buried weak layers.
A weak layer from early March is now 150 to 230 cm deep with January and February layers buried 200 to 300 cm. These weak layers remain a concern, especially in northerly alpine terrain.
Storm snow and moderate southwest winds will form touchy storm slabs. Expect to find deeper and more reactive deposits on north- and east-facing slopes at upper elevations, where the wind will load lee slopes.
Rain-on-snow and warm temperatures will rapidly destabilize the snowpack, with 1750 m freezing levels and up to 20 mm expected.
We expect a large natural avalanche cycle to continue with significant snowfall and strong winds, followed by rain at lower elevations.
On Saturday near Whistler, a natural cornice fall triggered a size 3 slab on the slope below.
Numerous human-triggered size 1.5 storm slabs, like this one, occurred in the alpine and upper treeline.
On Friday, an explosive-triggered size 2 storm slab was reported on the early March melt-freeze crust, on an east-facing slope in the alpine.
Up to 20 mm of precipitation is expected by Monday's end; snow above 1500 m and rain below this elevation. This overlies the 40 cm of snow from Sunday. Expect deeper and more reactive deposits on north—and east-facing slopes. Expect to find rain-soaked, moist snow below 1500 m.
This overlies 50 cm of recent snow and then a melt-freeze crust on southerly slopes and at lower elevations.
A weak layer formed in early March found down 150 to 230 cm, consists of a crust on all aspects except high north-facing slopes. In some areas, a layer of surface hoar is found just above the crust.
Weak layers formed in mid-February and late January are now buried 200 to 300 cm deep.
Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.
Sunday Night
Cloudy with up to 15 mm, falling as snow above 1500 m. 40 to 50 km/h south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 1 °C.
Monday
Cloudy with 15 to 20 mm, falling as snow above 1500 m. 25 to 45 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 1 °C.
Tuesday
Cloudy with 15 to 20 mm, falling as snow above 2500 m. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 4 °C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with trace precipitation. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
