Forecast snowfall amounts for Tuesday night range from 0 to 15cm. If snow totals actually approach 15 cm, the danger rating will likely increase one level at all elevations.
Summary
Confidence
Poor - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Tuesday
Weather Forecast
Tuesday Night: 0 to 15cm possible, freezing level 1500m, winds moderate to strong NW. Wednesday: Increasing cloud cover, winds decreasing to light NW by sundown. No precipitation, freezing level at valley bottom. Thursday: Broken skies, light variable winds at all elevations, no significant precipitation, freezing level at valley bottom. Friday: Broken skies, light variable winds at all elevations, no significant precipitation, freezing level at valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported recently.
Snowpack Summary
10 to 15cm of old storm snow rests upon a thick supportive crust that extends up to 2100m before changing to a firm wind pressed surface at higher elevations. Winds were out of the NE over the weekend switching to the NW over the last few days. You can likely find thin wind slabs at upper elevations as a result. Below 2100m the crust is effectively capping the snowpack, keeping riders from interacting with deeper weak layers that exist in the snowpack. Two layers of surface hoar can be found down between 50 and 80cm. Recent snow pack test indicate that these layers are unlikely to fail but could propagate widely if they do. At upper elevations where these layers are not protected by the surface crust it may still be possible to trigger an avalanche from a thin or rocky spot. The mid-December crust is becoming harder to find but where it does exist (mainly at treeline elevations) it is over a meter down.
ghelgeson,
Avalanche Canada
