Seek out sheltered terrain where you can avoid wind slabs.
Extreme cold increases the consequences if caught in an avalanche; read this blog on managing cold weather.
North winds continue to form fresh wind slabs.
Near Stewart and Ningunsaw, wind slabs could fail on a buried crust, up to 100 cm deep. This is most likely in alpine areas with a shallow snowpack in wind-affected terrain; like south slopes.
Friday, a natural size 2 wind slab avalanche occurred on an east slope in the alpine. Many size 1 wind slabs were triggered by riders on convex features in the alpine and treeline.
Thursday, near Terrace, skiers triggered a wind slab avalanche up to 50 cm deep. Report here. Two very large (size 3) slab avalanches were observed near Ningunsaw on south and west-facing slopes in the alpine. These avalanches may be failing on the deeper weak layer described below.
Northerly winds have redistributed soft snow into wind slabs in exposed areas. These winds are opposite to regular loading patterns.
In sheltered areas, about 15 cm of snow overlies a layer of buried surface hoar. Otherwise, wind slabs overlie previous hard surfaces or a melt-freeze crust that extends up to 1600 m (east) or 1800 m (west).
Near Stewart and Ningunsaw, a weak layer in the form of a crust may exist up to 100 cm deep.
The remainder of the snowpack is reportedly strong with various hard crusts.
Snow depths vary throughout the region, ranging from 150 to 300 cm at treeline and tapering rapidly below.
Friday Night
Mostly clear with no new snow, alpine winds northwest 20 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -30 ºC.
Saturday
Partly cloudy with a trace of new snow in the north, northwest alpine winds 20 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -25 ºC.
Sunday
A few clouds with no new snow, northwest alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -25 ºC.
Monday
Cloudy with a trace of new snow, southwest alpine winds 15 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -15 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
