Strong winds on Tuesday are expected to form fresh and reactive slabs over a buried weak layer. Stick to conservative terrain and avoid overhead hazard.
30-40 cm of new snow sits on a weak layer that consists of a crust, with facets and/or surface hoar on top of it. Strong winds are expected to form reactive slabs. This weak layer will likely continue to produce avalanches for longer than what is typical after a storm on the South Coast.
MONDAY NIGHT - Mainly cloudy with a few flurries, up to 5 cm / light to moderate south wind / alpine low temperature near -5
TUESDAY - Cloudy and sunny periods / strong southeast wind / alpine high temperature near -2
WEDNESDAY - Mainly cloudy with a few flurries / light southeast wind / alpine high temperature near -3
THURSDAY - Mainly cloudy with a few flurries / light southeast wind / alpine high temperature near -1
Strong winds on Tuesday are expected to create ongoing reactive avalanche conditions, especially since the new snow sits on a prominent weak layer.
Several human-triggered avalanches up to size 2 were reported on Monday, including one that was triggered remotely (from a distance). It is expected that there were also natural avalanches occurring during the day on Monday.
30-40 cm of new snow sits on a crust that also has weak facets and surface hoar crystals on top of it in many areas, especially on north aspects. Strong wind on Tuesday is expected to form fresh slabs and the new snow is not expected to bond well with the snow below it.
Click here to watch North Shore Rescue's recent snowpack conditions update, which includes a great explanation of persistent weak layer formation.
