Wind slabs are the main concern. Keep in mind you may find them on a variety of aspects with recent shifting winds.
Sheltered terrain will offer the best and safest riding.
Recent new snow has been redistributed by southwest switching to northeast winds. Wind slabs may exist on all aspects in exposed areas and will have likely decreased in reactivity with recent cold temperatures.
Two weak layers consisting of a crust with small facets above buried between 50 and 180cm deep, have been responsible for several large avalanches in the past two weeks. This problem seems to be more of an issue west of the Sea to Sky highway corridor. This layer is of greatest concern with large triggers, such as a cornice fall, or by first triggering a smaller avalanche that could step down to this interface.
On Thursday, skiers were able to trigger small (size 1) isolated pockets of stiff wind slab in alpine through to below treeline terrain.
Most recent avalanche activity has been reported as size 1-1.5 wind slabs and storm slabs in the alpine, mainly formed by recent northerly winds.
Northerly winds have redistributed new snow and formed stiff wind slabs in exposed areas. In sheltered areas, surface faceting due to cold temperatures and/or soft surface snow remains.
There are two crusts with facets sitting above, which are buried in the snowpack down 60-180cm in the alpine and treeline elevation bands. These crust/facet layers have been responsible for several large avalanches in the past 2 weeks in the Brandywine and Pemberton Icefield areas.
Thursday night
Clear. Alpine temperatures around -23 °C. Ridge wind northeast 15 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Friday
Sunny with cloudy periods. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -13 °C. Light variable ridge wind. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Saturday
Cloudy with snowfall beginning in the afternoon, 5 cm of accumulation. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -10 °C. Ridge wind southwest 25 km/h gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Sunday
Cloudy with snowfall, 5-15 cm of accumulation. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -9 °C. Ridge wind southwest 20 km/h gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level: 700 meters.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
