Over the past week, I have toured in the Ashman, Hankin, Hudson Bay, and Blunt Ranges and have made the following observations, take it as you wish.
In January, we saw what is becoming a new normal with extended periods or warmer air, rain to summits or low alpine, and extended drought. This left us with a widespread crust through the region, extending far to north. This was buried by some small amount of new snow on January 26. A week or so later, I was teaching an avalanche class to a very keen group of young students - it was pouring rain at treeline and plus 5. I wore my raingear. This was February 5. This layer froze, and had a bit of snowfall on it on Feb 6/7. Again, this layer was widespread through the Bulkley Valley region. After this, a return to seasonal conditions, even getting into the minus teens allowed this new snow to facet ( think sugar snow) as a result of strong difference in temperature from the snow to the colder air. On February 15, we had a deep snowfall of cold low density snow.
The February and January crusts are so close together, it doesnt really matter what we call the date - A crust, is a crust, is a crust. Whats more important to me, is the layer of Facets overtop the crust are starting to show reactivity, some whumpfing, some cracking, although minor, and you wont see or feel this on a sled. Over the past week, I was also able to trigger a few small windslabs on test slopes that failed on this layer, and most of my snowpack instability tests are showing reactivity in Compression, Extended column, Rutschblock, and Propagation Saw tests.
With more load from todays winds, snowfall, and warmer temperatures, we could start to see this layer wake up, even in non wind loaded areas. My main areas of concern are the inland and eastern areas of the valley. Further west towards Ashman and the Howsons, this layer was less reactive.
Safe Travels, SF