There's still snow up there if you aren't one to let a bit of rain stop you! Be ready to manage variably crusty or isothermal snow and lingering cornices if you head out.
Large cornices still loom over some ridgelines and they won't hang on forever. Be aware of these overhead hazards and stay well back from overhanging cornices when traveling on ridgetop.
Cloud and light rain should keep the snowpack near isothermal as it melts away. Mostly this slushy snow creates difficult travel conditions, but if you get caught in heavier rain, wet loose avalanches may become possible on steep slopes.
A cornice failure was observed near the Lions on the North Shore at around noon on Monday, believed to have failed within 12 hours of that time. Check out the report HERE.
Otherwise, no recent avalanches have been reported and little activity is expected under current conditions.
Observations are starting to taper off in many regions. If you get out into the backcountry, post a MIN!
Tuesday's forecast gives us something to look forward to!
Otherwise, cloud cover and light rain continue to work against crust recovery, likely keeping the snowpack near an isothermal state as it continues to melt away. We lost about 30 cm at 1360 m on the North Shore in the last week as well as at Coquihalla Summit. By now, a sprinkling of rain has likely affected even the region's highest north-facing slopes.
Minimal forecast rain doesn't promise much change, but travelers should still watch for isothermal conditions. Other than making travel difficult, wet loose avalanche danger also develops when this condition is in play.
The snowpack diminishes especially rapidly below 1000 m and on solar aspects.
Saturday Night
Cloudy with scattered showers, 1 to 3 mm. 0 to 5 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers, 1 to 2 mm. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 5 °C. Freezing level to 2200 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers, 3 to 5 mm, possible trace of alpine snow. 20 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level falling from 2200 m to 1700 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with increasing snowfall bringing 20 to 30 cm of new snow above 1200 m, heavy rain below. 50 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 0 °C. Freezing level to 1400 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
