Regions
Northwest Coastal.
The recent storm has left many steep slopes primed for human-triggering. Give the snow a little time before considering objectives on which an avalanche would have consequences.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly dry. Temperatures starting to cool.SUNDAY: Dry with sunny breaks. Light northerly winds. Treeline temperatures around -5C.MONDAY: Light snow starting later in the day. 2-4 cm. Moderate southwesterly winds. Treeline temperatures around -6C.TUESDAY: Around 15 cm new snow. Strong southwesterly winds. Freezing level rising to around 1200 m.Gamma (1175/1540m):HN24 8cm; winds 15-25 SE
Avalanche Summary
A natural avalanche cycle was reported on Saturday up to size 3. Natural avalanche activity will diminish on Sunday but human-triggered avalanches will remain likely
Snowpack Summary
Areas around Terrace have seen as much as 60 cm new snow since the storm started Friday morning accompanied by strong westerly winds. A pre-Christmas layer of surface hoar was previously buried on or around December 22, and is now buried 50-80 cm below the surface. It is unclear how reactive this layer is, but its presence could easily increase the potential size of avalanches from the storm.Lower in the snowpack, sitting somewhere between 120-200 cm below the surface lies a weak layer from mid-December. This layer was initially a concern when snowfall first accumulated, but the strength of this layer has generally improved. The surface hoar was most prevalent and has most recently been reactive between 1100-1300 m in more northern portions of the region, something to keep in mind if you plan to travel to areas like Ningunsaw.
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.