Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Outflow winds have created highly variable snow conditions in the region. Search for sheltered slopes for the best snow and to avoid wind slab concerns.
Confidence
Moderate - Wind effect is extremely variable
Weather Forecast
Saturday: Cloudy with sunny breaks and a chance of flurries. Treeline temperatures should reach -1 C during the day. Winds will be variable with some areas experiencing strong outflow (E-NE) winds. Sunday: Mainly cloudy. Treeline temperatures could pop a little above freezing during the day. Ridge winds are moderate from the SW-SE. Monday: Cloudy with light to moderate snowfall. Treeline temperatures are near 0 C again. Winds are moderate to strong from the SW.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity has been reported.
Snowpack Summary
The snow surface is highly variable. 25-40 cm of dry faceted snow can be found on most sheltered slopes, with a layer of new surface hoar above on slopes not affected by wind and sun. A melt-freeze crust can be found at or near the surface on steep, solar aspects in the alpine. Expect a variety of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain. Wind slabs may be reactive to the weight of a rider, especially in areas where a slab overlies surface hoar buried by the Boxing Day storm. Professionals in the region are still tracking a few other surface hoar layers that developed throughout December which are now buried in the top 100cm. These layers have likely gained significant strength, and represent a low probability / higher consequence scenario at treeline and below treeline elevations. In colder and shallower snowpack areas watch for weak basal facets.
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.