Northwest Coastal

A weak surface hoar layer is creating touchy conditions in some areas. If you have field observations to share, please consider using the Mountain Information Network. Click here for more info.

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

Generally unsettled conditions are expected for the forecast period.  Wednesday: Up to 5cm of snow / Moderate westerly winds / Freezing level at 1000m  Thursday: Up to 15cm of new snow accumulating between Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 1000m  Friday: 2-5cm of snow / Moderate southwest winds / Freezing level at 1000m

In general, observations have been limited in the last few days. That said, in the north of the region several avalanches in the size 1.5-2 range were reported to have been triggered remotely in alpine terrain. The March 25 interface was the culprit in these avalanches. Due to the persistent nature of this interface, avalanche activity on this layer may occur for some time after the stormy weather has ended.

Up to 45cm of new snow has fallen since the weekend. During this period, ridge top winds were generally moderate to strong from the southwest. Dense storm slabs now exist at higher elevations and are expected to be reactive in lee terrain. Below about 1500m, surfaces are reported to be moist or wet.A layer of surface hoar that was buried around March 25 is now around 40-75 cm below the surface. There is some uncertainty regarding the current reactivity and distribution of this layer, although avalanche activity and whumpfs were reported prior to the weekend on northerly aspects in the alpine and at treeline, and touchy conditions are still being reported in the north of the region. I'd maintain a cautious approach to terrain selection as avalanches at this interface could be large and destructive. The mid-pack is generally well-settled and strong. At the base of the snowpack, weak facets may be found, particularly on shallow alpine slopes in the north of the region.