Use caution on and below ridge crests where cornices are present.
Large cornices still loom over many ridgelines and they won't hang on forever. Be aware of these overhead hazards and stay well back from overhanging cornices on ridgelines.
As the freezing level drops, wet loose avalanches will become unlikely.
Avalanche activity through the week has been on a diminishing trend, with smaller wet loose releases in solar terrain accounting for most activity. A couple other notables from the week included:
-A very large cornice (size 3) knocked out with a hefty amount of explosives during control work in the Whistler area on Friday.
-A cornice-triggered slab avalanche, size 3, seen from a distance on Overlord Mountain on Wednesday. It happened on a northwest aspect at 2400 m.
As freezing levels drop, a surface crust will begin to form, and a trace of new snow is expected. However, cloud cover and scattered light rain will continue to limit crust recovery below 1600 m, likely keeping the snowpack moist and near isothermal.
A late-March crust/facet layer sits 20 to 80 cm deep, with another thicker crust 80 to 100 cm down. Faceting has been noted around the deeper crust near Whistler. While neither layer is currently an avalanche concern, they may give large cornices on high north aspects a small chance of triggering a slab, such as the recent event on Overlord Mountain.
Sunday Night
Cloudy. 1 to 3 mm of rain at treeline. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Monday
Cloudy. 1 to 2 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy. 20 to 40 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
