South Coast

Spring Conditions: The heat is on! You need to get out super early, plan to be out of avalanche terrain no later than lunch time, and avoid being on or under weak mushy slopes.

High Pressure will clear out the clouds and warm the temperatures which could remain well above freezing at all elevations for the foreseeable future. SUNDAY: Some high cloud, freezing level rising to around 3500 m by the afternoon, no significant precipitation, light to moderate south wind. MONDAY & TUESDAY: Clear and sunny, freezing level near 3500 m all day, no precipitation, light wind. Overnight temperatures may stay above freezing or the freeze could be short-lived.

No new avalanches reported, but we have very few eyes and ears still in the mountains reporting. Most commercial operations in the region have finished their season and data is sparse.

Cornices are large, fragile, and could trigger deep slab avalanches that run to valley bottoms. Monitoring the overnight freeze of the snow surface is very important.. If the snow surface does not freeze overnight or if the crust is only a few cm thick, the effect of daytime heating and solar radiation will weaken the snowpack much quicker. There is an old crust layer down approximately 50cm in the Duffey area and north of Pemberton. Though mostly dormant, it produced a couple large avalanches during the last major warming event, and produced a couple explosive triggered avalanches on Thursday. The forecast hottest weather of the year to date could again test it, especially in isolated locations such as steep, rocky faces. Glide cracks are widespread, active, and best avoided. Low elevation and thin snowpack areas have become isothermal, meaning the snowpack is 0 degrees Celsius throughout. An isothermal snowpack is more prone to full depth wet slab avalanches during the heat of the day, especially on steep, smooth slopes.