Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Prepare for another week without snow and remain cautious in steep and wind loaded terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY NIGHT: Clear, 30-50 km/h east wind, alpine temperatures drop to -10 C.MONDAY: Sunny, 20-40 km/h east wind, alpine high temperatures near -6 C.TUESDAY: Sunny, 30-50 km/h southeast wind, alpine high temperatures near -5 C.WEDNESDAY: Sunny with cloudy periods, 30-50 km/h east wind, alpine high temperatures near -3 C.
Avalanche Summary
One small (size 1) wind slab was triggered on an east aspect on Saturday. Sluffing in steep terrain was also reported.On Wednesday, there were several human triggered slab avalanches (size 1-2) near Terrace. A few of these were triggered remotely (from a distance). These were on north and west aspects around 1400 m. Similar activity had been reported in this area over the previous week, but has quieted down recently.
Snowpack Summary
The region has seen recent strong winds from various directions, leaving wind slabs on most aspects in exposed terrain. South facing slopes likely have a crust on the surface. Roughly 30-50 cm of snow sits above a layer of cold, soft faceted snow and surface hoar. This layer has been reactive in some snowpack tests and could enhance the propagation of wind slabs, especially on north and west alpine features. The lower snowpack is generally considered 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.