Northwest Coastal

Winds have changed from Northeasterly outflow to Westerly combined with some new snow to result in variable windslabs that may be on any aspect.

Poor - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Mostly overcast with flurries overnight and temperatures in the alpine around -10. Ridge top winds are expected to be 30-40 km/hr from the Northwest overnight and slow to about 20 km/hr during the day Tuesday. New snow amounts should be 3-5 cm at Shames, and maybe up to twice that amount nearer to the coast. Expect skies to remain overcast for the remainder of the forecast period with flurries and gradually warming temperatures.

A skier triggered a size 1.0 windslab in a steep gully at treeline in the Sleeping Beauty area near Terrace. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Email us at [email protected].

In the North of the region (north of Stewart) we have reports of 40 cm of heavily wind affected snow sitting on a laminated crust of ice lenses and facets. Snow profile tests are giving easy results in the facets beneath this crust. Deeper in the snowpack, at 80 cm down there is another crust that is breaking down and becoming bonded to the surrounding snow.In the Sleeping Beauty area near Terrace we have a report of 20 cm of facetted snow above a crust with pockets of that light dry snow blown into windslabs.As we begin our forecasting season, we are working with limited information from the field. This forecast is primarily based off weather station data and a few field observations.