Regions
Northwest Coastal.
New snowfall amounts are expected to vary greatly across the region. Pay close attention to how much snow falls in your riding area as this will affect your local Avalanche Danger.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Friday
Weather Forecast
On Saturday expect a mix of sun and cloud, light flurries and moderate/variable winds. On Sunday the region may see an additional 10cm of new snow and moderate easterly winds. On Monday, expect a mix of sun and cloud with light winds. Freezing levels should hover around 1300m on Saturday, climb to 1600m on Sunday, and then drop to 1000m by Monday.
Avalanche Summary
In recent days only small new wind slab avalanches were reported. Most of these avalanches were soft slabs and were confined to the immediate lee of ridgecrests. Although field observations were limited at the time of publishing this bulletin, ongoing wind slab activity is expected in response to new snow and wind on Thursday and Friday.
Snowpack Summary
On Thursday and Thursday night, 3-15cm of new snow fell with the highest accumulations occurring in the south of the region. Strong winds shifted the new snow into new wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine adding to an ongoing wind slab problem. In some areas, recent accumulations have been slow to bond to a crust which lies just below the surface.An older crust buried in early February can now be found around 50-100cm below the surface. This crust, which may coexist with small facets or decomposing surface hoar, is still producing sudden planar results in tests. I'd remain suspicious of this layer in steep, unsupported terrain at treeline and in the alpine.The mid pack is generally well settled and strong.
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.