North Columbia

Watch out for pockets of wind slab in exposed alpine terrain. Expect small loose wet avalanches on steep slopes exposed to full sun. 

MONDAY NIGHT: Clear and cold, with alpine temperatures dipping to around -11 C.

TUESDAY: Clear in the morning, becoming cloudy in the afternoon. Light variable winds becoming southwesterly in the afternoon. Alpine high temperature -2 C. Freezing level 1400 m.

WEDNESDAY: Light snow, 4-8 cm. Light southwesterly winds. Alpine high temperature -4 C. Freezing level 900 m.

THURSDAY: Mostly dry with a mix of sun and cloud. Light to moderate southwesterly winds. Alpine High temperature -6C. Freezing level 700 m.

On Sunday, loose dry avalanches were noted in steep terrain and unsupported rolls could be cut releasing the top 25 cm of snow.

On Saturday, at least three large to very large (size 2.5 to 3) wet slab avalanches were observed at low elevation (1100-1400 m) on south aspect slopes, triggered in response to warm temperatures and strong sun. A few natural wind slab avalanches to size 2 were also noted on northerly aspects above 2100 m.

Up to 25 cm dry soft snow can be found on shaded aspects above around 1500 m. On south-facing slopes and at lower elevations expect crusty snow in the morning and soft moist snow in the afternoon. Winds have slackened off of late, but recent wind slabs and cornices still pose a hazard close to steep ridgelines.

The lower snowpack has strengthened over the past week as previous persistent weak layers have become unreactive. The main layers that we had been tracking were a layer of facets that was buried in mid-February (60-100 cm deep) and a layer of surface hoar and/or a crust that was buried in late January (80-120 cm deep).

• Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.