Significant accumulations of new snow will remain touchy, particularly in wind drifted areas, or in sheltered areas where it overlies a weak snowpack layer.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Light snow 5-10 cm, winds around 40 km/h from the southeast. Treeline temperatures around -7C.FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, 40-60 km/h northwest winds, temperatures around -8C in the south of the region, colder further north.SATURDAY: An overnight storm may put up to 10 cm on the ground for Saturday morning, then clearing with 40-60 km/h northeast winds.
Avalanche Summary
An avalanche cycle was reported from the Terrace area during Monday and Tuesday's storm, although notably most of the avalanches appeared to be loose dry avalanches. Avalanches up to size 2.5 were also reported from the Ningunsaw area.
Snowpack Summary
Recent storms have deposited 50-80 cm new snow combined with strong, mainly southwest winds. Expect touchy wind slabs to have formed in the lee of exposed ridges. The storm snow has buried a layer of feathery surface hoar (up to 15 mm in sheltered areas), making wide propagations possible. A weak interface that formed during the early December cold snap can be found in isolated areas buried 100-150 cm deep. The layer consists of preserved surface hoar or weak faceted (sugary) snow. The lower snowpack is well consolidated in deep snowpack areas. In shallow snowpack areas, such as the northern part of the region, an old rain crust near the bottom of the snowpack has developed weak facets and might be triggerable from a thin or rocky area on a convex slope.
jfloyer,
Avalanche Canada
