With cloudy skies and light winds, conditions will be pleasant in the mountains. Stay alert for small, isolated wind slabs.
Wind slabs exist in isolated terrain features such as cross-loaded areas and below convex rolls. These sit on a thick crust, offering a good bed surface for avalanches.
A wind slab avalanche (size 1) was accidentally triggered by a skier, observed on a northeast facing aspect of Mines Madeleine. It slid on the March 21 crust over a short distance (>50 m).
If you are heading into the backcountry, please share your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
On leeward slopes, 10 to 15 cm of recent snow sits atop a solid melt-freeze crust formed on March 21st, this one generally adheres well to the crust.
In the alpine and at treeline, this new snow overlies various surfaces such as a crust, wind-affected pockets, or bare ground. In areas of maximum loading on lee slopes, isolated spots can be found where accumulations may reach up to 20 cm.
At mid-mountain, the snowpack height ranges from 60 to 150 cm.
A weak low-pressure system over Nova Scotia will bring snow showers on Thursday.
Wednesday evening and night: Cloudy. Isolated flurries. South wind at 15 km/h. Low of -5°C.
Thursday: Cloudy. Flurries with an accumulation of 2 to 5 cm. North-northeast wind at 10 to 20 km/h. High of -4°C. Freezing level at 500 m.
Friday: Cloudy. Isolated flurries with an accumulation of 5 to 10 cm. Northwest wind at 20 to 45 km/h. High of -3°C.
Saturday: Mix of sun and clouds. Isolated flurries. West wind at 20 to 35 km/h. High of -10°C.
For more details, read the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
