Good skiing can be found close to treeline on sheltered north facing terrain as winter conditions persist. Evaluate specific terrain features before committing. Human triggered avalanches are possible.
Weather Forecast
Friday into Saturday may bring 8-12cm. Saturday will be cloudy and flurries, trace of snow, high -5, and SW 20km/hr gusting 60 winds, with 1700m freezing level. Sunday will bring flurries, 11cm of snow, low -5 and high -1 C, light SW winds, and 2100m freezing level. Monday will be flurries, 8cm of snow, low -10 and high -2 C.
Snowpack Summary
Wind slabs and wind effect is found in open areas treeline and above. The upper snowpack is a variable 25 to 80 cm thick slab that sits on weak FC crust layers in the mid-pack. Depth hoar persists near the ground.
Avalanche Summary
No patrol Friday. A cornice triggered a size 2.5 slab in Shangrila area today. Skiers released a cornice to test Ullr / terminator chute #5 Wednesday and released a healthy size 2 avalanche on Wednesday. See the MIN report. This is a steep N facing chute dropping into Whistler creek drainage from the backside of Marmot basin.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Saturday
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.