Early season conditions still exist! Slow down as you enter tree line and below. Rocks, fallen trees and open creeks are a few of the lurking hazards.
Weather Forecast
We'll start the day off with inverted temperatures again, but this will get pushed out as a cold front moves across the province. Today: sun and cloud, no precipitation, light to moderate winds from the south and the freezing level reaching 1800m with an alpine high of -2. 5cm of new snow tonight, 5cm Thursday and another 5cm on Friday.
Snowpack Summary
Surface hoar observed up to 10mm at tree line and in the alpine in sheltered locations. Unreactive wind slabs were observed in the Alpine on north aspects in certain drainages. Recent solar effect, left a thin sun crust on steep solar aspects in the alpine and treeline. Snow depths vary from 60cm at Rogers Pass, to 150-170cm in alpine areas.
Avalanche Summary
Yesterday there were no new avalanches observed in the highway corridor or reported from the backcountry. Several loose dry avalanches to size 1.5 were observed on Monday afternoon from steep, rocky, unsupported south facing terrain.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
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.