Freezing levels are rising. If you experience rain falling on dry snow, expect hazard to increase rapidly.
Wind continues to blow, be careful transitioning into wind-affected terrain.
Up to 20 cm of new snow arrived in the last storm. Be careful transitioning into wind-loaded areas where you may find deeper deposits or where the new snow overlies a crust below.
As freezing levels rise, expect loose wet activity to occur. Take note of signs of warming like snow becoming sticky, dripping trees, snow bombs falling, or roller balls rolling downhill.
On Thursday, several natural and skier accidental size 1 to 1.5 wind slab avalanches occurred. Additionally, one natural avalanche was caused by cornice fall. Recent weather has formed large fragile cornices.
On Wednesday, explosive work produced several size 1 to 2 storm slab avalanches in the Whistler area as well as a couple size 2 cornice avalanches.
On Tuesday, explosive work produced several size 2 cornice avalanches in the Whistler area.
Up to 30 cm of recent snow that arrived with strong southerly winds has been redistributed into deeper deposits in wind-loaded areas. This new snow overlies a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects and previously wind-affected surfaces at higher elevations.
Below treeline snow is rain-soaked and becoming isothermal.
30 to 60 cm of storm snow from the past week may be sitting on a layer of surface hoar, facets or a crust. There has been no reactivity on these layers recently.
Another weak layer consisting of a crust with facets from early February is buried 50 to 100+ cm deep. There has been no reactivity on this layer in tests or in avalanches recently.
The remaining snowpack appears to be well settled and bonded.
Friday Night
Cloudy. 1 to 2 mm of precipitation. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Saturday
Cloudy. 2 to 5 mm of precipitation. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 15 to 20 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
