Regions
Northwest Coastal.
The best riding is likely to be found in sheltered north and east facing aspects.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with flurries / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Alpine high -3FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with flurries; 5-10 cm new snow / Moderate to strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Alpine high -2SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with flurries / Strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level rising to around 1000 m.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, a skier triggered size 1.5 wind slab was reported on a south aspect at 1200 m. No new avalanches were reported in this region on Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
Surface snow consists of thin sun crusts, sugary faceted snow, and wind pressed snow on a range of aspects in exposed terrain. In sheltered areas at treeline and below, 20-30 cm of snow sits over a layer of surface hoar that has been reactive to skier traffic in isolated locations. In the upper/mid-pack you will likely find layers of crusts, facets, and isolated surface hoar buried 50-100 cm below the surface. Deeper in the snowpack, around 150-200 cm down there is a crust/surface hoar layer from January which still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like cornice fall. Sugary facets near the bottom of the snowpack would likely be found in colder and dryer parts of the region, such as the far north.
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.