Assess local conditions and use extra caution as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Weather Forecast
With no significant weather makers in the area, Wednesday's light flurries should give way to dry weather Thursday, and then stay dry for several days. Wednesday's cloudy sky should clear to become more of a mix of sun & clouds starting Thursday. Temperatures should cool a couple of degrees on Thursday with freezing level around 1000m Thursday through Saturday, falling overnight to around 500m. Winds are forecast to come from the East or Northeast but remain light through Saturday. For more information see www.avalanche.ca/weather
Avalanche Summary
Small soft wind slabs were reported on lee slopes at alpine elevations near Whistler on Tuesday afternoon. I expect warm temperatures should help these slabs settle in place rather quickly.
Snowpack Summary
As much as 20 cm of snow over the last couple of days covers a medley of old surfaces including a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects in the alpine, smooth old snow on higher elevation lee slopes, and well-developed surface hoar in sheltered areas at treeline and lower elevations. Southerly or easterly winds have created soft wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain in alpine areas. The mid and lower snowpack is generally strong.
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.