Cold temperatures and incoming moisture will bring fresh snow to the South Coast mountains on Monday. Pay close attention to how much snow falls in your riding area, and be prepared to back off to mellow terrain.
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: 10-20 cm, 30-50 km/h ridgetop winds, treeline temperatures at -5.TUESDAY: Sunny, light northwest winds, treeline temperatures at -8.WEDNESDAY: Sunny, light winds, treeline temperatures at -10.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanche observations have been reported, but new snow will likely created fresh storm slabs at higher elevations in the South Coast mountains. If you have been out in the mountains, please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
Low density snow will accumulate on Monday as dropping temperatures will also bring snow to lower elevations. Saturday night saw 5 cm of new snow in the Howe Sound area and 15-25 cm towards the eastern parts of the region. With a total of 30-50 cm of recent storm snow, fresh storm slabs will continue to form in the alpine and at treeline. Total snowpack depths are around 160 cm at treeline and over 2 metres at higher elevations, with the mid-pack rapidly gaining strength.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.