Conditions are variable across the region. Dig down and test weak layers if you're headed to the north of the region.
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Wednesday will see a mix of sun and cloud with generally light southwest winds. By Thursday evening a stronger weather system will impact the region bringing more steady snowfall and strong southwest winds. Freezing levels will hover around 1000m for the forecast period.
Avalanche Summary
No new reports of avalanches. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Submit your observations by clicking on the "Avalanche Information " tab at the top of the page.
Snowpack Summary
Conditions in the Coquihalla area are quite different to the Duffey/Hurley regions. Reports from the Coquihalla suggest there's less than 1 m of snow in most avalanche areas. On the surface, fairly widespread surface hoar development has been reported. Below this, a small amount of recent storm snow overlies a thick rain crust.In the north, we have very limited observations. That said, I expect a deeper, more complex snowpack where well settled storm snow overlies a mix of crusts and facets which formed in November.
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.