Dangerous avalanche conditions persist at all elevations! Large, persistent slab avalanches continue to occur daily.
Previously formed and new wind slabs remain possible with small amounts of new snow and variable winds at higher elevations. Reactivity of wind slabs may increase during periods of warming or strong solar effect.
Multiple weak layers are present between roughly 80 and 180 cm deep. Triggering any of these layers would likely produce large, destructive avalanches. Exercise extreme caution on any large slope that has not recently avalanched.
Persistent slab avalanche activity has decreased slightly in recent days, but widespread avalanches up to size 4 have occurred at all elevations over the past week.
A size 2.5 avalanche, triggered by a tree bomb, failed on a February weak layer west of Revelstoke on Wednesday—an important reminder that these layers remain reactive despite the recent downward trend.
It remains uncertain whether new snow or wind transport will be enough to increase their reactivity again.
While small amounts of snow continue to accumulate, the upper snowpack is settling and bonding under recent mild temperatures. Moist snow or a thin crust may exist at or just below the surface, particularly at lower elevations and on south-facing slopes.
Three problematic layers persist in the mid-snowpack. One or two surface hoar layers buried in February (depending on location) are found roughly 60 to 120 cm below the surface, and in some areas these sit on a thin crust.
A deeper, widespread layer buried in late January, made up of surface hoar, facets, and/or a crust, is roughly 100 to 180 cm deep. Surface hoar within this layer is most preserved and largest in sheltered terrain at treeline and below.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 4 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Friday
Cloudy. 4 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 30 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
