Expect to find a touchy and destructive storm slab problem waiting for you when you get into the mountains on Friday. Stick to lower-angled, low consequence terrain to manage it.
Another round of moderate to heavy snowfall will form a new storm slab problem to manage on Friday. Expect accumulations, wind loading, and danger to be greatest in open, higher elevation terrain.
Observations have been limited due to stormy conditions in the past week but observations like this one from the Sea to Sky likely mirrored Wednesday's conditions at upper elevations on the South Coast.
Moderate to heavy snowfall through Friday should maintain dangerous avalanche conditions.
25 to 40 cm of new snow should accumulate by end of day Friday, most of it over Thursday night.
Light accumulations of 5 to 10 cm per day followed a 20 cm accumulation on Monday, brings us to about 100 to 150 cm of settling storm snow since Dec 17. Each round of substantial snowfall and wind loading has produced storm and wind slab problems, generally limited to each day's accumulations.
In most places the storm snow overlies bare ground. At alpine elevations it covers a crust over 20 to 50 cm of old, wet snow.
Thursday Night
Cloudy with increasing snowfall bringing 20 to 30 cm of new snow, greatest in the east of the region. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 700 to 1000 m, rising.
Friday
Cloudy with easing flurries bringing 5 to 10 cm of snow, potentially double near Sasquatch. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 700 m.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level to valley bottom.
Sunday
A mix of sun and clouds with isolated flurries. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level valley bottom.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
