Purcells

If you are out in the mountains, please consider submitting your observations to our MIN (Mountain Information Network).

High

A ridge of high pressure is building over most of the province. Colder modified arctic air is expected to descend from the north. Alpine lows should be around -15 and highs around -10 combined with light northerly winds. Expect broken skies with periods of light flurries on Friday. Very little precipitation should be left by Saturday and Sunday.

No new natural avalanches reported. Explosive cornice control did not release a slab on slopes below.

Light new snow falls have buried large surface hoar on all aspects at and below treeline and on shaded aspects in the alpine. Easterly winds associated with the new snow may have disturbed surface hoar in the alpine. New snow on southerly aspects may be sitting on a sun crust and/or surface hoar, providing an easy sliding layer. The new snow should be mostly unconsolidated except where it has been re-distributed by the wind. Fresh wind slabs may be sitting on 10-20 cm of facetted snow on all but steep solar exposed aspects. In the southern Purcells, (west of Kimberley), a prominent layer of buried surface hoar has shown to be reactive to human triggers. In this part of the region, it's buried down 40 cm with a cohesive slab above it. Shallow snowpack areas and moraine features may have weak facetted snow near the ground that will require time and some warming to strengthen.