Avalanche danger ratings assume15 cm, up to 20 cm of new snow. Higher snowfall or stronger winds could could increase hazards.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
MONDAY NIGHT: No precipitation. Moderate west winds.TUESDAY: Cloudy and light snow developing with 5 to 15 cm accumulations. Daytime treeline temperatures starting around -10 and warming to -3 C. Light to moderate northwest winds.WEDNESDAY: More snow is possible with upslope wind. Mix of sun and cloud. Temperatures a few degrees cooler with light to moderate northeast wind.THURSDAY: Mix sun and cloud. Dry. Light to mod west wind. Treeline temperatures between -10 and -5 C.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanche activity has been reported.
Snowpack Summary
With snow and wind in the forecast, storm and wind slabs are likely to develop.Cold temperatures have transformed most of the snowpack into weaker faceted snow with few if any distinct layers, with the exception of alpine terrain where hard wind slabs and wind pressed snow are found near the surface.In deep snowpack areas, you may find a slab sitting above a layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried in mid-January and is now 30-60 cm deep. The layer is most prominent in the Elk Valley between 1600 m and 1900 m, but no recent avalanche activity has been reported on this layer.
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.