Regions
Northwest Coastal.
We're heading into a period of change - from cold dry weather back to a moist southwest flow. Expect avalanche danger to increase heading into the weekend.
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Cloudy with light to moderate snow. Areas around Terrace and toward the coast could see 15-20 cm by the end of the day, with a little less to the north. The freezing level is at valley bottom and winds are moderate from the West. Wednesday: A strong frontal system arrives in the morning with moderate to heavy precipitation – 30-40 cm. The freezing level jumps up to around 1000 m and winds are strong from the Southwest. Thursday: Precipitation should ease off in the wake of the system. The freezing level remains close to 1000 m and winds should ease to light from the W-SW.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported; however, reports are limited. Avalanche activity is expected to increase through the week as snow accumulates and temperatures increase.
Snowpack Summary
Snowpack depths are highly variable across the region, with elevation, and in wind-exposed areas. Recent cold and clear weather has resulted in surface hoar formation and near-surface faceting, which is now getting buried by light dry snow. Low-elevation and wind-affected areas have a shallow faceted snowpack. While in higher elevation sheltered areas the previous storm snow is settling and gaining strength; however, weaknesses at the old snow interface down approximately 40cm may still exist. The lower snowpack is a series of crusts, some of which are laminated with facets, particularly in shallower areas.
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.