Avalanche Forecast

Low - Due to the number of field observations

TUESDAY NIGHT: Flurries, 5-15 cm accumulation. Moderate to strong southeast wind. Freezing level below 400 m.WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with scattered flurries, trace to 10 cm accumulation. Moderate southwest wind. Freezing level 600 m.THURSDAY: Periods of snow, 5-15 cm. Light to moderate southwest wind. Freezing level rising above 700 m.FRIDAY: Snow, 15-45 cm. Moderate south-southwest wind with strong gusts. Freezing level rising above 1400 m.

On Monday, wind-loaded pockets were reactive to skier traffic, including 2 very small unsupported pockets remotely triggered (from a distance) by skiers.On Sunday, explosives were able to trigger wind slab avalanches to size 1.5. Additionally, a large (size 2) natural wind slab avalanche was observed on a northeast aspect.

10-20 cm of new snow sits on a melt-freeze crust to approximately 1000 m. Above 1000 m this new snow is just adding to the 150+ cm of recent snowfall from the past week. Moderate to strong winds have redistributed recent snow and likely formed wind slabs at upper elevations, especially in lee features. Expect to find more reactive slabs in wind loaded areas, and especially in places that received high snowfall amounts over the weekend.120-200 cm of snow sits on a weak layer that was a concern when the first waves of last weeks storm hit the coast, but the strength of this layer has generally improved over the past week. This layer consists of surface hoar (feathery crystals), facets (sugary snow), and crusts that formed during the dry spell in early December. The surface hoar is most prevalent and has most recently been reactive between 1100-1300 m in more northern portions of the region, and is something to keep in mind if you plan to travel to areas like Ningunsaw.Deeper in the snowpack, there are several crusts, including an early season crust with facets near the bottom of the snowpack.