Lingering wind slabs from this weekend's storm will continue to be reactive. Caution as you transition into wind exposed terrain.
Weather Forecast
Arctic air continues to dominate the weather pattern for the next few days. A mix of sun and cloud is expected on Wednesday and Thursday with light northeasterly alpine winds and temperatures hovering around -18C. A Pacific frontal system pushes inland from the south starting Thursday night possibly bringing flurries on Friday.
Avalanche Summary
There are no new reports of avalanche activity. The new snow that fell over the weekend has been redistributed by the wind primarily onto north and east and southeast aspects in the alpine and at tree line. These wind slabs are expected to be reactive for the next few days.
Snowpack Summary
Last weekend's storm system brought 40-60cm of new snow to the southern part of the region with strong southwest wind in the alpine. The wind during the storm and more recent northerly wind has redistributed the storm snow forming wind slabs in alpine and tree line lees. The mid-November crust appears to typically be down 1-1.5m in the south of the region, and around 80cm down in the north of the region. Test results on this layer suggest the crust is generally well bonded in the Cariboos region. However, test results from the North Columbia region suggest there may be an isolated weakness associated with this layer and it has professionals concerned. It will be important to track how this layer evolves, especially with the current cold weather.
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.