Lots of new snow is burying a widespread layer of surface hoar, creating TOUCHY avalanche conditions.
This problem may exist in more areas but has been confirmed in the Prince of Wales range. As the new snow builds up, there is the potential for avalanches to step down to this deeper layer, creating surprisingly large avalanches.
New snow is burying a widespread surface hoar layer, creating touchy avalanche conditions. Expect hazard to increase as more snow accumulates over the day.
Some storm snow sluffing, but no avalanches have been reported in the past week.
If you are heading into the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.
New snow falls on a widespread layer of surface hoar ranging from 30 mm below treeline to 5 mm in the alpine.
A crust from early February is down 20 to 50 cm and in most areas appears to be well bonded. However, snowpack tests showed concerning results on this layer in the Prince of Wales range on Wednesday.
The remainder of the snowpack is well settled. The snowpack depth at treeline ranges from 85 to 130 cm, and there is still very little snow below treeline.
While new snow has improved riding conditions, access is still a challenge, with new snow on bare rock/ground at low elevations.
Friday Night
Cloudy. 5 to 20 cm of snow. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy. 10 to 25 cm of snow. 50 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 30 to 70 mm of precipitation. 60 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
