Weather Forecast
Saturday: Sunny breaks with the occasional flurry in the mix. Freezing level around 1000 m. Sunday: Light precipitation starting late in the day, with amounts of around 5 mm expected. Freezing level around 1300m, winds light southerly. Monday: A ridge of high pressure builds brining a dry day with sunshine. Freezing level around 1200 m.
Avalanche Summary
Glide crack activity up to size 2.5 has been reported in the Coquilhalla at treeline and below. Glide cracks are hard to predict, avoid riding in terrain below them. No other avalanche activity has been reported.
Snowpack Summary
A skiff of snow has buried an assortment of old snow surfaces comprising, depending on location, crusts, old wind slab, surface hoar and surface facets. The crusts formed on all aspects at lower elevations and on steep solar aspects higher up. Old wind slabs were on a variety of aspects behind exposed terrain features, and were particularly prominent in the Coquihalla due to outflow winds. The surface hoar (5-10mm) was most prominent at and above the recent cloud associated with inversion conditions. Surface facets have grown particularly on northern aspects where colder temperatures have persisted. In general the snowpack is now well bonded in most locations.
Problems
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.