An abundance of recent storm snow needs time to settle and bond.
Stick to conservative terrain and watch for changing conditions.
Rider-triggered avalanches remain likely on Sunday.
A weak layer formed in early March is now buried 120 to 175 cm. Additional layers formed in January and February are now buried 150 to 250 cm. These layers may still be adjusting to the new snow load, but field observations remain limited.
Continuous storms in the past week have left numerous storm slab interfaces in the top 100 cm of the snowpack. Far running dry loose avalanches are also a concern on steep slopes with this significant amount of new storm snow.
With continuous storm cycles in the past week, numerous natural and human-triggered storm slab avalanches have been reported throughout the region. Near Whistler and Garibaldi Park, there were several mentions of skiers accidentally triggering large slabs from northerly to easterly alpine slopes (size 1 to 2.5) on Friday.
Rider-triggered avalanches remain a concern on Sunday.
An additional 10 to 15 cm is expected on Saturday night, which will bring this week's storm totals to 120 to 175 cm of new snow. The storm snow is settling out rapidly and has been affected by the sun on steep southerly slopes. It sits on a weak layer formed in early March that consists of a crust on all aspects except high north-facing slopes and facets or surface hoar in some areas.
Weak layers formed in mid-February and late January are now buried 150 to 250 cm deep. We suspect these layers have mainly healed, but observations have been limited by stormy conditions.
Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.
Saturday Night
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 C. Freezing level 800 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of new snow. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Monday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level rising to 1000 m.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and clouds. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
