Enjoy the sunshine, but steer clear of areas where the snow feels stiff or slabby.
For the best riding and lowest avalanche danger, stick to zones protected from wind and sun effect.
Wind slabs have built below ridges and in cross-loaded terrain on a variety of aspects. In some areas they sit on a buried crust or surface hoar, making them reactive for longer than usual.
Numerous human, explosive, and naturally triggered wind and storm slabs (size 1 to 2, with a few up to 2.5) were observed across the region - but primarily in the Eastern Monashees. Most occurred on wind-loaded alpine and treeline slopes, with a few at lower elevations. Notably, some slabs failed on a buried surface hoar layer located 30 to 40 cm deep.
Due to slabs overlying weak surface hoar in some areas, we expect triggering to remain possible for longer than usual.
20 to 30 cm of settling storm snow is covering a variety of surfaces including sun crust and surface hoar. The snow surface is likely wind-affected in most open areas at upper elevations, and may have a thin sun crust or moist snow on sunny aspects.
A secondary layer of weak surface hoar from early January is buried 30 to 60 cm. This layer has been reactive where a cohesive slab has formed over it.
A crust/facet/surface hoar layer from early December may be found 90 to 160 cm deep. Avalanche activity has tapered on this layer in recent weeks and it is now considered dormant.
Saturday Night
Clear. 25 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Sunday
Sunny. 15 to 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C, inversion forming.
Monday
Sunny. 20 to 35 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C, inversion
Tuesday
Sunny. 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
