The likelihood of triggering the late January layer is low but not impossible. Use caution on slopes where a thick and supportive crust is absent.
Thin new wind slabs may have formed on Monday in the south of the region. These could be more reactive than normal given the hard crust they are sitting on.
The late-January weak layer is down 20-70 cm and was most reactive between 1700 and 2000 m in the north of the region. It is now likely dormant in most areas, especially where there is a supportive surface crust. However, recent snowpack tests suggest it is still reactive and capable of producing large avalanches if triggered. We have now entered a low probability, high consequence scenario with this layer.
Wednesday night: low of -7 at 1500m in the north and -3 in the south. Light flurries bringing trace amounts of snow with moderate northwest winds.
Thursday: Cloudy with flurries bringing up to 5cm of new snow. Moderate northwest winds and freezing levels rising to 1300m.
Friday: cloudy with light flurries. Light to moderate northwest winds and freezing levels rising to 1200m.
Saturday: stormy weather bringing 5 to 10cm of new snow and moderate southwest winds. High of -2 at 1500m.
On Tuesday several natural wet loose avalanches to size 1.5 were observed in the south of the region.
On Monday a size two natural persistent slab avalanche was reported. This avalanche released in steep terrain on a northeast aspect at 1850m and ran on the late January layer. This avalanche likely occured on Sunday.
On Sunday, several natural cornices were observed in the north of the region, some of which triggered size 1-2 slabs on the slopes below. Around the Coquihalla, some glide slab avalanches were observed. Small loose wet avalanches were also observed from steep sun-exposed slopes throughout the region.
The new snow has buried a widespread crust and wind-affected surfaces in exposed high elevation terrain. The melt-freeze crust is reported to exist on all aspects and elevations except for high elevation polar aspects in the north of the region which may still hold dry snow. Facets and surface hoar can be found above the crust.
The late-January crust/facet/surface hoar interface is buried down 20-70 cm. This layer was most reactive between 1700 m and 2000 m in the north of the region. While this layer now appears to be dormant in many parts of the region, recent snowpack tests suggest it is still very reactive in a few places in the north of the region and would still be capable of producing large avalanches if triggered.
