6:45 AM UPDATE Significant overnight snowfall has increased danger ratings, expect natural avalanche activity around Pine Pass and any other areas that received 20 cm or more overnight.
New snow continues to be redistributed by wind blowing from a variety of directions. Wind slabs will be of greatest concern in areas that have received roughly 20 cm or more of new snow.
A weak layer of facets and/or surface hoar may rest above a hard-melt freeze crust that formed early February. This layer remains in the depth for human triggering.
A few natural wind or storm slab avalanches have been reported on Friday morning in the Pine Pass area with the arrival of new snow and strong winds.
As new snow starts to accumulate and the load slowly starts to increase above buried weak layers, we expect persistent slabs to become more reactive.
New snow is being redistributed by strong alpine winds, leaving widespread wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain.
30 to 60 cm below the surface a variety of potential weak layers may exist, including surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain, weak facets, or a hard melt-freeze crust on south and west-facing slopes.
A thick and hard widespread crust that formed in early February is buried about 60 to 90 cm deep. This crust may have a layer of facets above it.
The eastern portion of this region is much shallower with a highly variable and wind-affected snowpack.
Check out Avalanche Canada's field team's recent conditions report from the Tumbler Ridge area in the MIN.
Friday Night
Cloudy with 0 to 10 cm of snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 20 cm of snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Monday
Partly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
