Sea To Sky

It looks like one more mainly dry day before the snow returns. Avalanche danger will rise as new snow accumulates. How quickly this happens depends on how much snow and wind we see.

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Tuesday

Monday: Increasing cloud with snow in the afternoon. The freezing level is around 800-1000 m. Ridge winds should increase to moderate from the S-SW. Tuesday: Periods of snow – 20-30 cm from Monday evening through Tuesday. The freezing level is around 1000 m. Winds are moderate to strong from the SW. Wednesday: Flurries ending early, then cloudy with sunny breaks. The freezing level is near 800 m and winds ease to light from the W-NW.

No new avalanches were reported on Saturday. A few small natural and rider-triggered wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported on Thursday and Friday from steep lee features. 

Up to 20 cm of dry snow sits on a variety 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. This dry surface snow is capped by a sun crust on steep solar aspects or a fresh layer of surface hoar on sheltered and shady slopes. Variable winds have created thin soft wind slabs in immediate lee and cross-loaded terrain in alpine areas. The mid and lower snowpack is generally strong.