Vancouver Island

Numerous moats and trenches have opened up in steep terrain around the base of steep rock features. Take precaution to identify these hazards prior to committing to your objective. Expect surface conditions to become a very hard slippery surface crust especially near the end of this forecast period. All mountain travellers should consider the option to travel on slopes that minimize exposure to slips and falls.

Upper snow pack is unconsolidated, wet to moist. The entire alpine snow pack has settled rapidly and the mid and lower snow pack are becoming dense and very well settled

Surface: wet to moist down 30 to 40 cm. Upper: unconsolidated. Mid: well settled. Lower: well settled.

Precipitation in the form of rain combined with warm temperatures and high freezing levels persisted over the last 48 hours. Winds where predominately south west and moderate to strong . Overnight temperatures remained high preventing most snow surfaces from developing a crust and recovering. Theses factors promoted the upper snow pack to become unconsolidated and warm.

A strengthening high pressure to the south west of the region will bring clearing sky, cooling temperatures and freezing level to seas level during the overnight period.Thursday: 5 mm of precipitation, temps 3 to 0 , winds light to moderate Sw becoming Light Nw late in the afternoon, freezing level to 1500-500 m.Friday: Clear, temps -3 to -6, winds light Nw, freezing level 900 m dropping to sea level overnight.Saturday: Clear, temps -5 rising to +2, winds light Ne, freezing level 300 m rising to 900 m mid day.