With the addition of last night's new snow, careful evaluation of the December 15 surface hoar layer should be a part of your decision making process.
Weather Forecast
After last nights underwhelming storm we'll see another few cms out of the system as it leaves the province. Today will be mostly cloudy with some sunny periods but will remain cold with freezing level firmly at valley bottom. Winds will ease and become light westerly. An Arctic ridge will rebuild Sunday and bring back the sunny weather.
Snowpack Summary
25cm of low density new snow fell in the last 36 hrs while temps remained quite cold. An isolated surface hoar/ facet layer (December 27) is buried down 20cm. The Dec 15 surface hoar/sun crust layer, which is widespread at treeline, is buried down 60cms. Cold temperatures have hindered slab development in the upper snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
We experienced a widespread natural avalanche cycle yesterday. Numerous loose dry and storm slab avalanches ran to sz 2.5, mostly from steep terrain. Expect this cycle to continue today with avalanches having the potential to reach out into runout zones. Be aware of naturals from above especially in areas like Connaught Creek
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
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.
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.