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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The critical part of snowpack analysis under current conditions is figuring out how the wind is redistributing snow into wind slabs. Extreme northerly winds have been reported, which will be &quot;reverse loading&quot; wind onto slopes that were previously scoured. I suspect the cold will temper the reactivity of wind slabs on moderate slopes; however, on steep, aggressive terrain, particularly on south-facing slopes in the sun, wind slabs will definitely be in play. Between Monday and Friday last week, 70-100 cm of storm snow accumulated in the region. Below the new snow from this week lies the Boxing Day interface which consisted of wind affected surfaces, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. The mid-December interface is now down 100-150 cm and is generally considered to be stable in this region. Snowpack layers below this are well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The critical parts of the snowpack under current conditions are wind slabs in exposed areas, and, for low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, a layer of faceted snow from mid-December that in those areas is buried under about 50 cm of snow. Most parts of the region saw 60-90 cm new snow last week, which is reported to be generally bonding well. A facet/surface hoar layer was buried on Boxing Day (surface hoar up to 5 mm was observed in the Duffey Lake area), but does not seem to have turned into a major concern. The mid-December interface is now down over 1 m in most parts and is generally considered to be stable, except in shallow snowpack areas as mentioned above, where snowpack tests indicate it could still be a viable failure plane.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent storms deposited 50-80 cm of snow combined with strong winds, most recently from the north. The storm snow overlies a layer of feathery surface hoar (up to 15 mm in sheltered areas) buried on December 25, making wide propagations possible. Ongoing reports indicate this combination of layers is susceptible to easily triggered avalanches, including avalanches running in low angled terrain. An earlier (and therefore deeper) weak interface that formed during the early December cold snap can be found in isolated areas buried 100-150 cm deep. The layer consists of preserved surface hoar or weak faceted (sugary) snow. The lower snowpack is well consolidated in deep snowpack areas. In shallow snowpack areas, especially north of Ningunsaw, an old rain crust near the bottom of the snowpack has developed weak facets and might be triggerable from a thin or rocky area on a convex slope.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack depths in this region are still shallow - around 1 m or so, meaning there are a lot of weak sugary facets in the snowpack. Recent storm snow is being redistributed by strong to extreme winds, and wind slabs are widespread behind exposed features. Where hard wind slabs overlie weak facets, the structure is ripe for human-triggered avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In addition to the sugary facets, you may find a layer of feathery surface hoar (up to 15 mm in sheltered areas), buried around 20 - 30 cm below the surface. There is another weak layer that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be found close to the bottom of the snowpack nestled in amongst the facets. We don't have a lot of information about these layers, but it's worth noting the layer responsible for most of the large avalanches during the big storm just before Christmas was the mid-November rain crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds on Sunday had an extensive effect in exposed terrain at all elevations. Expect scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Sunny weather is likely making wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar layer can be found buried 80-120 cm deep, and has been showing signs of gaining strength recently with little to no recent avalanche activity in the region. The layer may still be reactive in isolated areas such as steep south-facing slopes and thin snowpack areas. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds on Sunday had an extensive effect in exposed terrain at all elevations. Expect scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Sunny weather is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar interface can be found buried 50-100 cm deep. The interface has been showing signs of gaining strength in thick snowpack areas, but remains a concern in thin snowpack areas throughout the region. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">This region saw 30-60 cm new snow during last week's storms. The new snow sits over a weak layer buried on Boxing day that was initially reactive but now appears to have gained strength. Recent winds switched from mainly southwesterly to northerly, &quot;reverse loading&quot; areas that were previously scoured. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Slightly lower in the snowpack is an interface buried mid-December, now down 40-100 cm. This layer appears to be well bonded in many parts of the region but was reactive for a while last week west of Trail and Castlegar where preserved surface hoar was thought to be responsible for four small (but surprising) skier trigger avalanches. It will be important to continue to monitor this layer for further signs of reactivity.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">A wind slab on the surface up to 10cm is found mostly in open areas at all elevations. Our main concern in the snow pack is the persistent slab that sits on a 10cm facet layer(December 18th layer) approximately 35cm down. Our second concern is the November rain crust which is located in the lower third of the snowpack mostly below 2400m. Below tree line, the snowpack is mostly faceted and not very supportive to skier traffic.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Right now, the most important part of the snowpack analysis is figuring out how the wind is redistributing snow into wind slabs. New wind slabs are most likely to be found on south to east aspects behind exposed terrain features, and could be touchy, especially on steep unsupported terrain. The previous metre or so of storm snow has bonded well to the underlying snow. A thin freezing rain crust buried under 10 cm of new snow was reported from the North Shore mountains, but I suspect the only impact this will have will be on skiing quality. Wind slabs aside, the snowpack is otherwise considered to be well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds over the weekend had an extensive effect in exposed terrain. Expect scouring and wind slabs in unusual places, as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Sunny weather is likely making the surface snow touchy on south-facing slopes. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep, and has been showing signs of gaining strength recently with no recent avalanche activity in the region. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds over the weekend had an extensive effect in exposed terrain. Expect scouring and wind slabs in unusual places, as the winds shifted from west to northeast during the arctic outbreak. Sunny weather is likely making the snow extra touchy on south-facing slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar layer can be found buried 30-60 cm deep. This layer has been unreactive recently, although snowpack test suggest it may still be possible to trigger in shallow snowpack areas. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground that appears to be dormant.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week is showing signs of consolidating into soft slabs and sits on a variety of wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine.  That said, the main concern is windslabs (and some cornices) forming in the alpine due to the recent arctic outbreak winds. Deeper in the snowpack the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie: Watch out for thinner snow packs and areas of crossloading in isolated areas (think shallow rocky areas) where an avalanche could step down to trigger deeper layers. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent storm snow has been transported by northeast winds into wind slabs on south and west aspects. In some areas these wind slabs may sitting on an old scoured surface that was stripped by previous strong westerly winds that developed wind slabs on north and east aspects. The newer wind slabs are probably easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow weak sugary base. Travel conditions have been challenging and little change is expected until the next warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Between Monday and Friday last week, 70-100 cm of storm snow accumulated in the region. The critical part of snowpack analysis under current conditions is figuring out how the wind is redistributing this snow into wind slabs. Recent extreme northerly winds have &quot;reverse loaded&quot; much of the new snow onto southerly slopes that were previously scoured. Moderate northerly winds continued to promote this wind slab formation into Tuesday. The existence of wind slabs on solar aspects is important to note as clear skies will allow for strong solar radiation to affect these aspects. Below the new snow from last week lies the Boxing Day interface which consists of wind affected surfaces, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. The mid-December interface is now down 100-150 cm and is generally considered to be stable in this region. Snowpack layers below this are well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Most parts of the region saw 60-90 cm new snow last week, which is reported to be generally bonding well to underlying snow. With that said, the critical issue under our current conditions is the wind slab problem that exists in wind-exposed areas. Below the new snow, a facet/surface hoar layer that was observed in the Duffey Lake area does not seem to have turned into a major concern. For low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, another concern is a layer of faceted snow from mid-December that is buried under approximately 50 cm of snow. This mid-December interface is now down over 1 m in most other areas and is generally considered to be stable, except in shallow snowpack areas as mentioned above, where snowpack tests indicate it could still be a viable failure plane.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Change is slow due to cold temperatures. Last weeks storm snow has settled a bit, and now there is 40-60 cm in protected areas above the surface hoar that was buried on Christmas. Strong to extreme winds from the north or northeast have developed wind slabs above various old surfaces that include a layer of feathery surface hoar, making wide propagations possible.&nbsp; An earlier weak interface that formed during the early December cold snap can be found in isolated areas buried 100-150 cm deep. The layer consists of preserved surface hoar or weak faceted (sugary) snow. The lower snowpack is well consolidated in deep snowpack areas. In shallow snowpack areas, especially north of Ningunsaw, an old rain crust near the bottom of the snowpack has developed weak facets and might be triggerable from a thin or rocky area on a convex slope.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack depths in this region are still shallow - around 1 m or so, meaning there are a lot of weak sugary facets in the snowpack. Recent storm snow is being redistributed by strong to extreme winds, and wind slabs are widespread behind exposed features. Where hard wind slabs overlie weak facets, the structure is ripe for human-triggered avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In addition to the sugary facets, you may find a layer of feathery surface hoar (up to 15 mm in sheltered areas), buried around 20 - 30 cm below the surface. There is another weak layer that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be found close to the bottom of the snowpack nestled in amongst the facets. We don't have a lot of information about these layers, but it's worth noting the layer responsible for most of the large avalanches during the big storm just before Christmas was the mid-November rain crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds over the weekend had an extensive effect in exposed terrain. Expect scouring and wind slabs in unusual places, as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Sunny weather is likely making the surface snow touchy on south-facing slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar layer can be found buried 80-120 cm deep, and has been showing signs of gaining strength recently with little to no recent avalanche activity in the region. The layer may still be reactive in isolated areas such as steep south-facing slopes and thin snowpack areas. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds on Sunday had an extensive effect in exposed terrain at all elevations. Expect scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Sunny weather is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar interface can be found buried 50-100 cm deep. The interface has been showing signs of gaining strength in thick snowpack areas, but remains a concern in thin snowpack areas throughout the region. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">This region saw 30-60 cm new snow during last week's storms (with more in the eastern areas and less in the west). The new snow sits over a weak layer buried on Boxing Day that was initially reactive but now appears to have gained strength. Recent winds switched from mainly southwesterly to northerly, &quot;reverse loading&quot; areas and causing windslabs. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Slightly lower in the snowpack is an interface buried mid-December, now down 40-100 cm. This layer appears to be well bonded in many parts of the region but was reactive for a while last week west of Trail and Castlegar where preserved surface hoar was thought to be responsible for four small (but surprising) skier trigger avalanches. It will be important to continue to monitor this layer for further signs of reactivity.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Nothing new for snow in the last 24 hours. No surprise given the arrival of more cold arctic air. Last night saw lows of -36 on the Spray Rd. So far this cold has done little to change the overall snowpack character. The surface windslabs appear at treeline elevations and extend up to the high alpine on N-S aspects. The treeline midpack is continuing to lose strength and has a distinctly hollow, or &quot;upside down&quot; feel to it. The Dec 18 facets are still the main concern and are down approximately 40-50cm at treeline. The &quot;deep&quot; persistent layer (named for it's relative depth within the snowpack-in the bottom third) is next on the list of concerns. This is down 80-100cm at treeline and is starting to show signs of weakness in stability tests. Both of these layers are widespread in terms of aspect.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The high alpine did see some wind transport today from the north. Its doubtful these formed any significant slabs given the cold, but there could be some isolated slabs in immediate lees on SE-SW aspects. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong northerly winds have redistributed loose snow from recent storms into wind slabs behind exposed terrain features on southerly aspects, including both southwest and possibly southeast slopes. Approximately 95 cm of well-settled storm snow lies on the surface and has bonded well to the underlying snow. While snowpack tests have revealed no significant instability within the storm snow, the spatial variability of wind slab instabilities may be a limiting factor. Aside from wind slab instabilities in the upper snowpack, the mid and lower snowpack are considered to be well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. Strong winds over the weekend had an extensive effect in exposed terrain. Expect scouring and wind slabs in unusual places, as the winds shifted from west to northeast. The mid-December facet/surface hoar layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep, and has been showing signs of gaining strength recently with no recent avalanche activity in the region. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind-slabs fresh and touchy in some areas and sun-exposure is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken or no results in snowpack tests where it is down close to a metre. However, recent snowpack tests in a shallower area, gave moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness where it was found as surface hoar down 20-30 cm. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week is showing signs of consolidating into soft slabs and sits on a variety of wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine. That said, the main concern is windslabs (and some cornices) forming in the alpine due to the recent arctic outbreak winds. Deeper in the snowpack the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie: Watch out for thinner snow packs and areas of crossloading in isolated areas (think shallow rocky areas) where an avalanche could step down to trigger deeper layers. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent storm snow has been transported by northeast winds into wind slabs on south and west aspects. In some areas these wind slabs may be sitting on an old scoured surface that was stripped by previous strong westerly winds that developed wind slabs on north and east aspects. The newer wind slabs are probably easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow weak sugary base. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding (stabilizing). </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Travel conditions have been challenging and little change is expected until the next warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">70-100 cm of storm snow accumulated in the region during a series of storms last week. The critical part of snowpack analysis under our current conditions is determining how the wind is redistributing this storm snow into wind slabs. Recent extreme northerly winds have &quot;reverse loaded&quot; much of the new snow onto southerly slopes that were previously scoured. Moderate northerly winds continued to promote this wind slab formation into Wednesday. The existence of wind slabs on solar aspects is important to note as clear skies will allow for strong solar radiation to affect these aspects. Up to 100 cm below the surface lies the Boxing Day interface, which consists of wind affected surfaces, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. The mid-December interface is now down 100-150 cm and is generally considered to be stable in this region. Snowpack layers below this are well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Most parts of the region saw 60-90 cm new snow last week, which is reported to be generally bonding well to underlying snow. With that said, the critical issue under our current conditions is determining where wind slabs have been formed in response to recent strong winds redistributing our new snow. Buried below the new snow, a facet/surface hoar layer that was observed in the Duffey Lake area does not seem to have turned into a major concern. For low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, another concern is a layer of faceted snow from mid-December that is buried under approximately 50 cm of snow. This mid-December interface is now down over 1 m in most other areas and is generally considered to be stable, except in shallow snowpack areas as mentioned above, where snowpack tests indicate it could still be a viable failure plane.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Uncertain how the band of warm air around treeline has affected the recent wind slabs and persistent weak layer. I suspect that there has been little change in the high alpine and below treeline. Last weeks storm snow has settled a bit, and now there is 40-60 cm in protected areas above the surface hoar that was buried on Christmas. Strong to extreme winds from the north or northeast have developed wind slabs above various old surfaces that include a layer of feathery surface hoar, making wide propagations possible. An earlier weak interface that formed during the early December cold snap can be found in isolated areas buried 100-150 cm deep. The layer consists of preserved surface hoar or weak faceted (sugary) snow. The lower snowpack is well consolidated in deep snowpack areas. In shallow snowpack areas, especially north of Ningunsaw, an old rain crust near the bottom of the snowpack has developed weak facets and might be triggerable from a thin or rocky area on a convex slope.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The height of snow on the ground at treeline in most of the recreation areas in this region is about 100 cm. Deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region may have closer to 200 cm at treeline and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard wind slabs. These wind slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In addition to the sugary facets, you may find a layer of feathery surface hoar (up to 15 mm in sheltered areas), buried around 20 - 30 cm below the surface. There is another weak layer that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be found close to the bottom of the snowpack nestled in amongst the facets. We don't have a lot of information about these layers, but it's worth noting the layer responsible for most of the large avalanches during the big storm just before Christmas was the mid-November rain crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind slabs fresh and touchy in some areas and sun-exposure is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken or no results in snowpack tests where it is down around a metre or more. However, recent snowpack tests in a shallower area gave moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness where it was found as surface hoar down 55 cm. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate to strong northerly winds have been keeping wind slabs fresh and touchy in some areas and sun-exposure is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December recently gave moderate but broken snowpack test results where it was found down a metre or more. In a shallow snowpack area, recent snowpack tests gave moderate sudden collapse results on this persistent weakness. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_E6FD2046">The snow from last week (30-60 cm) has been exposed to east through northerly winds during this cold clear period. In many areas &quot;reverse loading&quot; occurred, causing windslabs to form and giving sudden planar results in snowpack tests. The most recent snow sits over a weak layer buried on Boxing Day that was initially reactive but now appears to have gained strength.  </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_E6FD2046">Slightly lower in the snowpack is an interface buried mid-December, now down 40-100 cm. This layer appears to be well bonded in many parts of the region but was reactive for a while last week west of Trail and Castlegar where preserved surface hoar was thought to be responsible for four small (but surprising) skier trigger avalanches. It will be important to continue to monitor this layer for further signs of reactivity.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_E8C8DFFA"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Little change over the past 24hrs. Widespread wind slabs up to 10cm thick in Alpine areas from normal and reverse wind loading. Evidence of recent natural avalanche cycle stepping down to Dec 18th interface and the Nov crust layer in some areas (such as Highwood Pass). Cold temps continue to draw out what little strength is left of the low elevation snowpack. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Approximately 95 cm of well-settled storm snow lies on the surface after a series of storms last week. In the days following the storms, strong northerly winds redistributed loose storm snow into wind slabs behind exposed terrain features, mainly on south to west aspects. These wind slabs have gained considerable strength in recent days but remain a concern over the short term. Aside from possible wind slab instabilities in the upper snowpack, the mid and lower snowpack are considered to be well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and surface facets may buried by a light dusting of fresh snow in some places. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Southwesterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep, and has been showing signs of gaining strength recently with no recent avalanche activity in the region. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind-slabs fresh and touchy in some areas and sun-exposure is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken or no results in snowpack tests where it is down close to a metre. However, recent snowpack tests in a shallower area, gave moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness where it was found as surface hoar down 20-30 cm. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_A8FEC758">We're seeing surface snow conditions ranging from very wind affected (sastrugi and hard slabs) to softer wind slabs. These sit on a variety of older wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine and have given easy test results in the top 15-20cms of the snowpack. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_A8FEC758">That said, the main concern remains the windslabs (and some cornices) formed in the alpine thanks to the recent arctic outbreak winds. Deeper in the snowpack the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie: Watch out for thinner snow packs and areas of crossloading in isolated areas (think shallow rocky areas) where an avalanche could step down to trigger deeper layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_F5A21D89"> The recent storm snow has been transported by northeast winds into wind slabs on south and west aspects. In some areas these wind slabs may be sitting on an old scoured surface that was stripped by previous strong westerly winds that developed wind slabs on north and east aspects. The newer wind slabs are probably easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow weak sugary base.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_F5A21D89">The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding (stabilizing).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_F5A21D89">Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until the next warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Moderate to extreme winds and cold temperatures over the past few days have left our snow surface a variable mix of soft wind slab, hard wind slab, sastrugi, and faceted snow. 70-100 cm of storm snow lies below this surface, the product of last weeks series of storms. The previously mentioned wind slabs are the primary weakness of concern in our current snowpack. As a product of northerly winds, these wind slabs were reverse loaded into the terrain in our region, forming primarily on southerly slopes in wind-exposed terrain. Local wind patterns, however, allowed slabs to develop on a surprising range of aspects, from west to east. Snowpack tests of various wind slabs continue to produce easy to moderate results, with occasional sudden planar results. Up to 100 cm below the surface lies the Boxing Day interface, which consists of wind affected surfaces, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. The mid-December interface is now down 100-150 cm and is generally considered to be stable in this region. Snowpack layers below this are well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent strong winds and cold temperatures have left our snow surface a mix of soft wind slab, hard wind slab, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. 60-90 cm of storm snow lies below this surface, the product of last weeks series of storms. Wind slabs are the primary weakness of concern in our current snowpack. As a product of northerly winds, these wind slabs reverse loaded into the terrain in our region, forming mainly on southerly slopes in wind-exposed areas. While recent faceting has actually had the effect of breaking down the cohesiveness of some wind slabs, snowpack tests were producing easy results with occasionally sudden fracture character on wind slab interfaces as recently as Tuesday. For low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, two other layers of concern exist. One is the surface hoar and faceted snow from mid-December buried approximately 50 cm deep. Below this, the 90-125 cm-deep November 12 crust exists. Snowpack tests continue to indicate these could both be viable failure planes in shallow snowpack areas. Elsewhere, these layers are typically much deeper and are generally considered to be stable. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A layer of surface hoar has been growing on the surface in many areas of the region and will be buried over Thursday night. Below the surface, warm temperatures on Wednesday have likely promoted some strengthening of our recent wind slabs. A similar strengthening effect can be expected - although to a lesser degree - at our Christmas surface hoar layer. Aided by warm temperatures, last week's storm snow has settled a bit more, leaving 35-55 cm in protected areas above the Christmas surface hoar. This week's strong to extreme winds from the north and northeast developed wind slabs above various old surfaces, including our Christmas surface hoar. Slabs failing over this layer will be capable of wide propagations. An earlier weak interface that formed during the early December cold snap can be found in isolated areas buried 100-150 cm deep. This layer consists of preserved surface hoar or weak faceted (sugary) snow. The lower snowpack is well consolidated in deep snowpack areas. In shallow snowpack areas, especially around Ningunsaw, an old rain crust near the bottom of the snowpack has developed weak facets and might be triggerable from a thin or rocky area on a convex slope.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m at deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard wind slabs. These wind slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 20-30 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets. We don't have a lot of information about these layers, but it's worth noting the weakness responsible for most of the large avalanches during the big storm just before Christmas was the mid-November rain crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and surface facets have likely been buried by a light dusting of fresh snow. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Moderate southeasterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken or no results in snowpack tests where it is down around a metre or more. However, recent snowpack tests in a shallower area gave moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness where it was found as surface hoar down 55 cm. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and surface facets may buried by up to 15 cm of fresh snow in some places. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Moderate southeasterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December recently gave moderate but broken snowpack test results where it was found down a metre or more. In a shallow snowpack area, recent snowpack tests gave moderate sudden collapse results on this persistent weakness. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On and near the surface, facets and surface hoar continue to form throughout the region, while some sun crust is found on steep solar (south) aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week (30-60 cm) has been exposed to east through northerly winds during this cold clear period. In many areas &quot;reverse loading&quot; occurred, causing windslabs to form and giving sudden planar results in snowpack tests. The most recent snow sits over a weak layer buried on Boxing Day that was initially reactive but now appears to have gained strength. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Slightly lower in the snowpack is an interface buried mid-December, now down 40-100 cm. This layer appears to be well bonded in many parts of the region giving moderate results in snowpack tests, but not reactive to skier loads. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A visit to some of our more remote weather plots today helped to give a more regional perspective on the snowpack. Below treeline is still the same as its been for the last while. Weak snow makes for difficult travel and poor coverage in terms of depth. On the up side, there are very few avalanche concerns! Depths range from 50cm-95cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Treeline is variable these days for coverage and avalanche problems. Lower treeline suffers from the same weak snow/poor coverage issue. At the upper end of treeline the 10-30cm thick surface windslabs are present in open areas and vary in density. Hardslabs are common in windy areas and don't inspire confidence for ski quality or avalanches. The Dec 18th facet layer is prominent in all areas. It is down 30-50cm with a distinct density change. Lower down, the Nov crust layer is intact and still quite solid as a layer, but we are seeing depth hoar on top of it in most areas now. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The alpine is essentially the same as treeline, but more variable. Wind exposure is the thing to keep in mind when predicting the hardslab locations. One common theme was the rapid change from feature to feature. In a few steps, the snowpack character changes considerably. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Cold temperatures and strong northerly winds over the past few days have left our snow surface a variable mix of faceted snow, wind crust, and wind slab. Approximately 95 cm of well-settled storm snow lies below this surface, the product of last week's series of storms. Earlier this week, the previously mentioned strong northerly winds that followed the storms redistributed loose storm snow into wind slabs behind exposed terrain features, mainly on south to west aspects. These wind slabs have gained considerable strength in recent days and remain a concern mainly in steep, unsupported terrain. Aside from possible wind slab instabilities in the upper snowpack, the mid and lower snowpack are considered to be well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and facets are buried by 10-15 cm of fresh snow in most places. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Southeasterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep is generally giving hard resistant or no results in snowpack tests. But we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly where it is shallower. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_2823317B"> Surface hoar is growing and the upper snowpack is faceting. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind-slabs fresh and touchy in some areas and sun-exposure is likely making the wind slabs extra touchy on south-facing slopes. Facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken or no results in snowpack tests where it is down close to a metre. However, recent snowpack tests in a shallower area, gave moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness where it was found as surface hoar down 20-30 cm. This suggests that the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas; however, the potential for step-down avalanches remains where it is deeper. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> We're seeing surface snow conditions ranging from very wind affected (sastrugi and hard slabs) to softer wind slabs. The best skiing seems to be on north-facing aspects (but please see the avalanche summary (and MIN report) above and minimize your overhead exposure). These sit on a variety of older wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine and have given easy test results in the top 15-20cms of the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">That said, the main concern remains the windslabs (and some cornices) formed in the alpine thanks to the recent arctic outbreak winds. Deeper in the snowpack the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie: Watch out for thinner snow packs and areas of crossloading in isolated areas (think shallow rocky areas) where an avalanche could step down to trigger deeper layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Another round of moderate northerly winds has moved through the Crowsnest pass and northern areas in the past 24 hours, causing fresh wind slabs on south and west aspects. In some areas these wind slabs may be sitting on an old scoured surface that was stripped by previous strong westerly winds that developed wind slabs on north and east aspects. The newer wind slabs are probably easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow weak sugary base.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding (stabilizing).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until a significant warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A trace of new snow covers a variable surface with a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Wind slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the current snowpack. Last week's winds reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs on a surprising range of aspects. Snowpack tests on wind slabs are producing easy to moderate results, with occasional sudden planar results. The Boxing Day interface can be found up to 100 cm deep and consists of wind packed snow, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. Snowpack layers below this interface are also generally well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold temperatures and strong winds have left our snow surface a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Wind slabs are the primary weakness of concern in our current snowpack. Last week's winds were primarily from the north, which reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs on southerly slopes in wind-exposed areas. For low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, two other layers of concern exist. One is a weak layer of snow from mid-December buried approximately 50 cm deep and other is an old rain crust from November buried 90-120 cm deep. Snowpack tests indicate these layers may be possible to trigger in shallow snowpack areas. Elsewhere, these layers are typically much deeper and are considered to be stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-40 cm of new storm snow sits above a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar, and faceted snow. Expect the new snow to bond poorly to this interface and form extra touchy storm slabs on wind-loaded features. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer, which is now buried 40-80 cm deep and may still be reactive in sheltered areas. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A light dusting of snow has likely buried recently formed surface hoar and/or facets. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m at deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard wind slabs. These wind slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 20-30 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and surface facets have been buried by a light dusting of fresh snow. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Moderate southeasterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. Persistent weakness in the mid-pack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate to hard but resistant results on two different layers of facets and/or buried surface hoar in the top metre. The lower snowpack seems to be well bonded, but features a crust/facet deep persistent weakness near the ground, which remains a concern in shallow rocky snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Surface hoar and surface facets may buried by up to 15 cm of fresh snow in some places. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have resulted in scouring, hard wind slabs, and thicker reactive wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Moderate southeasterly winds are likely keeping winds slabs fresh in some areas, while old wind slabs are breaking down with faceting in other areas. Persistent and deep persistent weakness in the mid and lower snowpack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate but resistant results on facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December where it was found down 45 cm, and hard but sudden collapse results on the facet/crust weakness down 116 cm near the base of the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had a skiff of new snow -  in most places just enough to bury the facets and surface hoar which have formed throughout the region. On steep solar (south) aspects, a breakable sun crust exists. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The last snow we received (30-60 cm) was exposed to east through northerly winds during the cold clear period. In many areas &quot;reverse loading&quot; occurred, causing windslabs to form and giving sudden planar results in snowpack tests. This snow sits over a weak layer buried on Boxing Day that was initially reactive but now appears to have gained strength. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Slightly lower in the snowpack is an interface buried mid-December, now down 40-100 cm. This layer appears to be well bonded in many parts of the region giving moderate results in snowpack tests, but not reactive to skier loads. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affect in alpine areas and into open areas at treeline and below.  Natural avalanche activity has began to subside but the snowpack is still within the range of being triggerred by a skier.  Our main concerns continue to be thin windslabs in alpine areas that are overlying the 1218 facets down 30-50cm.  This layer is easy to locate as its marked by a major density change in the snowpack.  Lower in the snowpack is the 1112 crust.  Not much natural avalanche activity has been observed on this layer but it is still within our minds.  Thin snowpack areas will be the places werein you may be able to trigger this weakness. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Friday, 15 cm of new snow and moderate southeast winds likely formed fresh wind slabs on north-facing slopes in the lee of exposed features. The new snow has buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow, wind crusts, and wind slabs. Some of these older buried wind slabs may still be reactive in isolated steep unsupported slopes. Aside from possible wind slab instabilities in the upper snowpack, the mid and lower snowpack are considered to be well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15cm of recent snow and light to moderate winds have created fresh thin wind slabs in exposed areas at treeline and above. This recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally giving hard resistant or no results in snowpack tests. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_2823317B">A trace of new snow has covered a layer of surface hoar that was growing on the surface before January 6. Below the surface, recent cold temperatures have been promoting faceting of the upper snowpack. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have scoured windward slopes and formed hard wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind slabs fresh and touchy in some areas. The layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken results or non-results in snowpack tests where it is found around a metre below the surface. Snowpack tests in shallower areas, however, have yielded moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness, suggesting the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas. With that said, the potential for a wind slab avalanche to step down to this weak layer remains a concern where it lies deeper in the snowpack. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> A trace of new snow over Thursday night has covered a variable snow surface that includes wind slabs as well as sastrugi and hard slabs. Surface hoar up to 20mm was reported to be growing on the surface in some areas before the light snowfall. The aforementioned wind slabs formed in the alpine after recent arctic outbreak winds scoured snow from a wide range of aspects, forming touchy deposits on the lee side of exposed features. These wind slabs sit on a variety of older wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine and have given easy test results in the top 15-20cms of the snowpack and remain the primary stability concern in our snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie. Take extra caution in thinner snowpack areas and areas of crossloaded snow where a smaller wind slab avalanche could step down to trigger this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent moderate northerly winds have continued to load our wind slabs on south and west aspects. In some areas these wind slabs may be sitting on an old scoured surface that was stripped by previous strong westerly winds that developed wind slabs on north and east aspects. The newer wind slabs are probably easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow weak sugary base. The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding (stabilizing). Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until a significant warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 5 cm of new snow covers a variable surface with a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Last week's winds reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs on a surprising range of aspects. An interface of faceted (sugary) snow and surface hoar was buried on Boxing Day and can be found up to 100 cm deep. Recent observations suggest the snow has bonded well to this interface. Snowpack layers below this interface are also generally well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 5 cm of new snow covers a variable surface with a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, sun crust, and even some surface hoar. Last week's winds were primarily from the north, which reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs. For low snow areas, such as the northern part of the region, two layers of concern exist. One is a weak layer of snow from mid-December buried approximately 50 cm deep and other is an old rain crust from November buried 80-120 cm deep. Snowpack tests indicate these layers may be possible to trigger in shallow snowpack areas. Elsewhere, these layers are typically much deeper and are considered to be stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-50 cm of new storm snow sits above a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar, and faceted snow. Expect the new snow to bond poorly to this interface and form extra touchy storm slabs on wind-loaded features. Wind-loading will likely occur on a wide variety of aspects, as winds are shifting to the northeast. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer, which is now buried 50-100 cm deep and may still be reactive in sheltered areas. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from mid-December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of recent snow with northerly winds have likely created fresh wind slabs sitting on top buried surface hoar and/or facets. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m at deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard wind slabs. These wind slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 20-30 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 40-60 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-20 cm of recent snow and light winds have created thin wind slabs in exposed alpine terrain. </span><span class="s_1681A555">This recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events. Persistent weak layers</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> in the mid-pack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate to hard but resistant results on two different layers of facets and/or buried surface hoar in the top metre. The lower snowpack seems to be well bonded, but features a crust/facet deep persistent weakness near the ground, which remains a concern in shallow rocky snowpack areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">10-15 cm of recent snow and light winds have created thin wind slabs in exposed terrain at treeline and above. This recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Persistent and deep persistent weakness in the mid and lower snowpack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate but resistant results on facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December where it was found down 45 cm, and hard but sudden collapse results on the facet/crust weakness down 116 cm near the base of the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Approximately 5 cm of new snow fell over Thursday night, covering facets and surface hoar which formed throughout the region during cold, dry weather earlier this week. On steep solar (south) aspects, a breakable sun crust may exist below the new snow. Recent cold temperatures have been promoting faceting, especially in the upper snowpack. The last snow we received (30-60 cm) was exposed to east through northerly winds during the cold clear period. While many areas saw &quot;reverse loading&quot; of the storm snow into wind slabs on south to west aspects, local wind patterns have seen slabs form on a wide range of aspects. Snowpack testing of various wind slabs continues to yield moderate to hard results with sudden fracture character. Below the wind slabs and storm snow, the weak layer buried on Boxing Day appears to have formed a good bond to the snow above. 50-70 cm below the surface we have another weak layer buried on December 18. This layer appears to be well bonded in most parts of the region, giving moderate results in snowpack tests, but not expected to be reactive to skier loads.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affect in alpine areas and into open areas at treeline and below. Natural avalanche activity has began to subside but the snowpack is still within the range of being triggerred by a skier. Our main concerns continue to be thin windslabs in alpine areas that are overlying the 1218 facets down 30-50cm. This layer is easy to locate as its marked by a major density change in the snowpack. Lower in the snowpack is the 1112 crust. Not much natural avalanche activity has been observed on this layer but it is still within our minds. Thin snowpack areas will be the places werein you may be able to trigger this weakness. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow is expected to arrive Sunday afternoon and bury the 15 cm of settling snow from Friday's storm. Sustained southerly winds are building small wind slabs on north-facing slopes in the lee of exposed features. Friday's snow buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow and old hard wind slabs. Recent reports suggest the snow has not bonded well to this interface, which means it could become a sliding layer during the next storm. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">Forecast 10-20 cm of new snow by Monday afternoon and moderate southwest winds are expected to create fresh wind slabs on lee features at treeline and above. Recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally giving hard resistant or no results in snowpack tests. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_2823317B">A trace of new snow has covered a layer of surface hoar that was growing on the surface before January 6. Below the surface, recent cold temperatures have been promoting faceting of the upper snowpack. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have scoured windward slopes and formed hard wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind slabs fresh and touchy in some areas. The layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken results or non-results in snowpack tests where it is found around a metre below the surface. Snowpack tests in shallower areas, however, have yielded moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness, suggesting the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas. With that said, the potential for a wind slab avalanche to step down to this weak layer remains a concern where it lies deeper in the snowpack. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">After light snowfall over the last couple of days, significant new snow over Sunday and Monday will continue to bury a variable snow surface that includes wind slabs as well as sastrugi and hard slabs. Surface hoar up to 20mm was reported to be growing on the surface in some areas before Thursday's light snowfall. The previously mentioned wind slabs formed after recent arctic outbreak winds scoured snow from a wide range of aspects, creating deposits on the lee side of exposed features. These wind slabs sit on a variety of older wind-affected surfaces at treeline and in the alpine and recent snowpack tests of wind slab layers have yielded increasingly resistant results. Cold temperatures may have a role to play in this, as they have promoted faceting in the upper snowpack with the effect of breaking down the cohesion of wind slabs. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent layer (facet interface) has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin zone than closer to Fernie. Take extra caution in thinner snowpack areas and areas of crossloaded snow where a smaller wind slab avalanche could step down to trigger this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow and wind over Sunday and Monday will recharge our wind slab problem, feeding existing slabs with additional load and forming new slabs in the lee of exposed terrain features. Forecast winds are from the southwest, but recent wind slabs formed under the influence of northerly winds. Yet another layer of wind slabs were formed on north and east aspects below our existing surface slabs. This mix of old and new wind slab problems will require backcountry travelers to be aware of slabs on virtually any aspect. Newer wind slabs will probably be easier to trigger, but the old wind slabs may continue to release with the added load of a rider, especially where they are sitting on a shallow, weak, sugary base. The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding (stabilizing). Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until a significant warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> 5-15 cm of snow from Friday covers a variable surface with a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Last week's winds reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs on a surprising range of aspects. An interface of faceted (sugary) snow and surface hoar was buried on Boxing Day and can be found up to 100 cm deep. Recent observations suggest the snow has bonded well to this interface. Snowpack layers below this interface are also generally well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Up to 5 cm of snow from Friday covers a variable surface with a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, sun crust, and even some surface hoar. Last week's winds were primarily from the north, which reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs. For low snow areas, such as the northern part of the region, two layers of concern exist. One is a weak layer of snow from mid-December buried approximately 50 cm deep and other is an old rain crust from November buried 80-120 cm deep. Snowpack tests indicate these layers may be possible to trigger in shallow snowpack areas. Elsewhere, these layers are typically much deeper and are considered to be stable.</span><span class="s_3FE45715" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> 20-40 cm of storm snow sits above a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar, and faceted snow. Expect this snow to bond poorly to this interface and form extra touchy wind slabs on wind-loaded features. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer, which is now buried 40-80 cm deep and may still be reactive in sheltered areas. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of recent snow with northerly winds have likely created fresh wind slabs sitting on top buried surface hoar and/or facets. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. These hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 30-40 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 50-70 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">Forecast 10-20 cm of new snow by Monday afternoon and moderate southwest winds are expected to create fresh wind slabs on lee features at treeline and above. Recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> Persistent weak layers</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> in the mid-pack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate to hard but resistant results on two different layers of facets and/or buried surface hoar in the top metre. The lower snowpack seems to be well bonded, but features a crust/facet deep persistent weakness near the ground, which remains a concern in shallow rocky snowpack areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Forecast 10-20 cm of new snow by Monday afternoon and moderate southwest winds are expected to create fresh wind slabs on lee features at treeline and above. Recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Persistent and deep persistent weakness in the mid and lower snowpack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate but resistant results on facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December where it was found down 45 cm, and hard but sudden collapse results on the facet/crust weakness down 116 cm near the base of the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A thin layer of new snow has buried a layer of facets and surface hoar which formed at the surface during cold, dry weather last week. A breakable sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. Below this, the 30-60 cm of snow we received in the days after Christmas was redistributed into wind slabs after being exposed to east through northerly winds during last week's cold period. Many areas saw &quot;reverse loading&quot; of the storm snow into wind slabs on south to west aspects. Recent cold temperatures have been promoting faceting of the upper snowpack, breaking down the cohesion of these wind slabs. Down 10-30 cm, within the storm snow and wind slab layer, a rain crust buried on December 30 has recently produced easy snowpack test results that warrant continued monitoring. Below the wind slabs and storm snow, another rain crust buried on December 20 can be found 40-70 cm deep. This layer is now producing hard, resistant results in snowpack tests. Down 50-80 cm, the December 18 surface hoar layer exists. While it continues to produce moderate to hard test results, sudden fracture character and a capacity for propagation are keeping it relevant.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind effect in open areas in the Alpine down into tree line. Our main concern still remains human triggering on the persistent slab which sits on the Dec 18 facets(down approx 30-50cm). Our second concern are cross loaded gullies and lee features.&nbsp; The November crust is still present in the lower third of the snow pack. Non-supportive facetted snow below tree line.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">New snow (up to 40cms in 24 hours) is expected to arrive starting late Sunday afternoon and will bury the 15 cm of settling snow from Friday's storm. Sustained southerly winds are building small wind slabs on north-facing slopes in the lee of exposed features. Friday's snow buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow and old hard wind slabs (especially at higher elevations). Recent reports suggest the snow has bonded fairly well to this interface; however, it remains a concern as a sliding layer during the next storm. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest winds are expected to have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. Recent snow has covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-20 cm of new snow has covered a layer of surface hoar that was growing on the surface before January 6. Below the surface, recent cold temperatures have been promoting faceting of the upper snowpack. In exposed areas at all elevations, recent winds have scoured windward slopes and formed hard wind slabs in unusual places as the winds shifted from west to northeast. Continued moderate variable winds have been keeping wind slabs fresh and touchy in some areas. The layer of facets and surface hoar that was buried mid-December has been giving hard and broken results or non-results in snowpack tests where it is found around a metre below the surface. Snowpack tests in shallower areas, however, have yielded moderate sudden planar results on this persistent weakness, suggesting the primary concern for persistent slab avalanches is in shallow snowpack areas. With that said, the potential for a wind slab avalanche to step down to this weak layer remains a concern where it lies deeper in the snowpack. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow has buried a variable snow surface which consists of wind affected surfaces, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread near surface faceting. In wind exposed terrain, the snowpack had been heavily scoured by strong outflow winds last week and old lingering wind slabs may still be reactive. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak facet layer has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow on Monday with moderate winds will recharge our wind slab problem, feeding existing slabs with additional load and forming new slabs in the lee of exposed terrain features. Winds have been switching directions recently and wind slabs should be expected on all aspects. The mid snowpack is generally right side up, with the mid-December interface down 40-80cms, giving inconsistent results in snowpack tests. There is some faceting below this interface but resistances are good and showing signs of rounding and stabilizing. Travel conditions have been challenging (especially at lower elevations) and little change is expected until a significant warm up helps to settle the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow from Sunday night totalled 15 cm near Whistler while 25-30 cm fell in the upper Callaghan / Powder mountain area.  Widespread touchy soft slab avalanches to Size 1.5 occurred on lee slopes with explosives control. The </span><span class="s_3FE45715">new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Lingering wind and soft slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the current snowpack. Last week's winds reverse loaded many terrain features and formed stubborn wind slabs on a surprising range of aspects. The Boxing Day interface can be found up to 100 cm deep and consists of wind packed snow, faceted (sugary) snow, or surface hoar. Recent observations suggest the overlying snow is generally well bonded to this interface. Snowpack layers below this interface are also generally well bonded.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> 20-25cms of low density snow fell Sunday/Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. Moderate southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto North (east) aspects forming reactive soft slabs. Previous </span><span class="s_3FE45715">cold temperatures from last week and strong winds left our snow surface a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. These older wind slabs (on south - west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack and were triggered by skiers on Saturday (see link below). For low snow areas such as the Chilcotins, two other layers of concern exist. One is a weak layer of snow from mid-December buried approximately 50 cm deep and other is an old rain crust from November buried 90-120 cm deep. Snowpack tests indicate these layers may be possible to trigger in shallow snowpack areas. Elsewhere, these layers are typically much deeper and are considered to be stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent winds have redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from Friday-Saturday at all elevation bands. This snow sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar, and faceted snow.  The net result is touchy slabs on wind-loaded features and is giving easy to moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer which is well preserved in southern areas. This surface hoar is now buried 40-80 cm deep, and is still reactive in sheltered areas. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow fell last weekend. Observations have been limited, although I suspect these accumulations have likely been shifted into wind slabs at treeline and in alpine. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. These hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 30-40 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 50-70 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest winds are expected to have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but remains a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be well bonded, but features a crust/facet deep persistent weakness near the ground which remains a concern on rocky features in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest winds are expected to have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. Recent snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_EB2EB4FA"> </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Persistent and deep persistent weakness in the mid and lower snowpack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are generally most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate but resistant results on facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December where it was found down 45 cm, and hard but sudden collapse results on the facet/crust weakness down 116 cm near the base of the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow has buried a highly variable old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed terrain, widespread near surface faceting, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate to strong winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed this new snow in wind exposed terrain. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the upper snowpack below the new storm snow, a couple old freezing rain crusts may exist. The mid-December surface hoar layer sits down 50-80 cm. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests in some areas but is generally considered to be dormant. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10 to 15cm of new snow overnight with some minor wind effect in Alpine. The Dec 18th interface is buried 30 to 60cm at Treeline and remains a concern for human triggering. The Nov crust is buried 80 to 100cm deep and is exhibiting facetting both above and below the crust. At lower elevations the snowpack is weak and unsupportive due to prolonged periods of facetting.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The North Shore mountains received 10cm of new snow which came in wet and heavy, bonding well to 15 cm of settling snow from Friday's storm. New snow amounts closer to Squamish were almost double (15-20cm).  Watch out for small wind slabs on north-facing slopes in the lee of exposed features. Friday's snow buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow and old hard wind slabs (especially at higher elevations). Recent reports suggest the snow has bonded fairly well to this interface. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs in exposed terrain. Recent snow has covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-30 cm of new snow has buried a variable old snow surface which consisted of wind scoured surfaces or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow in wind exposed terrain. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions.  It will be important to watch this layer reacts during the next storm or period of warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow has buried a variable snow surface which consists of wind scoured surfaces or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow in wind exposed terrain.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak facet layer has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant right now but may wake up during the next storm or period of warming. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow has buried a variable old snow surface which consists of heavily wind scoured surfaces or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow in wind exposed terrain. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid pack appears to be variable throughout the region and the structure is dependant on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as old faceted crusts deeper in the snowpack and a weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. Due to inconsistencies in snowpack structure throughout the region, the snowpack needs to be treated with respect and further investigated at a local scale in your riding area.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Lingering soft slabs and wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. New snow from Sunday-Monday totalled 18 cm near Whistler while 25-35 cm fell in the upper Callaghan / Powder mountain area - resulting in widespread touchy soft slabs. Winds shifted Tuesday to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with STRONG winds at ridge top This pattern resulted in 'reverse loading' of southerly slopes and has created wind slabs. Please note that with the colder temperatures the snowpack will be slower than usual to heal - give it some time to settle before considering bigger lines. Deeper in the snowpack, the new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Lingering soft slabs and wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. 25-30cm of low density snow fell Sunday/Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. Moderate southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto north (east) aspects forming reactive soft slabs. Winds shifted Tuesday to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with moderate winds at ridge top. This pattern has resulted in some 'reverse loading' of southerly slopes and creating wind slabs. Previous cold temperatures from last week and strong winds left our snow surface a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. These older wind slabs (on south - west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack and were triggered by skiers on Saturday (see link above). </span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent strong winds (southeast through northeast) have redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from Friday-Saturday at all elevation bands. This snow sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. The net result is touchy slabs on wind-loaded features and is giving easy to moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer which is well preserved in southern areas. This surface hoar is now buried 60-100 cm deep, and is still reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at and below treeline. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow fell last weekend. Observations have been limited, although I suspect these accumulations have likely been shifted into wind slabs at treeline and in alpine. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region, and up to 250 cm in the alpine. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. These hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 30-40 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 50-70 cm deep. A crust from mid-November may be lurking close to the ground nestled in amongst the facets.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but remains a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be well bonded, but features a crust/facet deep persistent weakness near the ground which remains a concern on rocky features in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 36 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. The new snow has also covered old, thicker wind and hard slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_EB2EB4FA"> </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Persistent and deep persistent weakness in the mid and lower snowpack are giving variable results in snowpack tests, but are expected to be most touchy in shallow snowpack areas. Recent snowpack tests gave moderate but resistant results on facets and/or surface hoar buried mid-December where it was found down 45 cm, and hard but sudden collapse results on the facet/crust weakness buried in November down 116 cm near the base of the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow has buried a highly variable old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed terrain, widespread near surface faceting, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow in wind exposed terrain. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the upper snowpack below the new storm snow, a couple old freezing rain crusts from late-December may exist depending on your location. The mid-December surface hoar layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10cm of new snow in the past 24hrs brings storm snow totals to near 20cm. Variable wind effect in the Alpine, with pockets of fresh wind slab immediately below ridge-crest. The Dec 18th interface is buried 40 to 70cm at Treeline and remains a concern for human triggering. The Nov crust is buried up to 100cm deep and is exhibiting facetting both above and below the crust. At lower elevations the snowpack is weak and unsupportive due to prolonged periods of facetting.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mountains of the South Coast region received 15-20cm of snow Sunday-Monday. The new snow came in wet and heavy (especially in the North Shore mountains) and bonded well to 15 cm of settling snow from Friday's storm.  Watch out for small wind slabs on north-facing slopes in the lee of exposed features. Friday's snow buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow and old hard wind slabs (especially at higher elevations). Recent reports suggest the snow has bonded well to this interface. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs in exposed terrain. Recent snow has covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events.</span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-30 cm of recent snow has buried a variable old snow surface which consisted of wind scoured surfaces or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow in wind exposed terrain. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions. It will be important to watch this layer reacts during the next storm or period of warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of recent snow has buried a variable snow surface which consists of wind scoured surfaces, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent moderate winds from all directions is has redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes and behind terrain featu.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak facet layer has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant right now but may wake up during the next storm or period of warming. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of recent snow has buried variable old snow surfaces which consists of heavily wind scoured surfaces or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes. The mid pack appears to be quite variable throughout the region and the structure is dependant on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. Due to inconsistencies in snowpack structure throughout the region, its a good idea to dig down and test weak layers in your local riding area. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow from Sunday-Monday totalled 18 cm near Whistler while 25-35 cm fell in the upper Callaghan / Powder Mountain area. In the days since the storm, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with strong winds at ridge top. This resulted the new snow being 'reverse loaded' onto southerly slopes as wind slabs and soft slabs. These slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack and our colder-than-usual temperatures mean the upper snowpack will be slower than usual to heal. Deeper in the snowpack, the new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">25-30cm of low density snow fell over Sunday and Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. During the storm, moderate southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto north and east aspects, forming reactive soft slabs. After the storm, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with moderate winds at ridge top. This pattern resulted in 'reverse loading' of wind slabs onto southerly slopes. These wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. Below these slabs, a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar can be found, the result of last weeks cold temperatures and strong winds. These older wind slabs (on south to west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack with recent cold temperatures having slowed their healing into the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent strong winds (southeast through northeast) have redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from Friday-Saturday at all elevation bands. This snow sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. The net result is touchy slabs on wind-loaded features that are giving easy to moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer which is well preserved in southern areas. This surface hoar is now buried 60-100 cm deep, and is still reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at and below treeline. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow fell last weekend. Observations have been limited, although the few reports we've received suggest these accumulations have been shifted into wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. These hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 30-40 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 50-70 cm deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 36 cm of low density snow fell on Sunday night and Monday. In some areas, moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds have shifted these accumulations into wind slabs at treeline and above.</span><span class="s_EB2EB4FA"> In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-December facet layer lies up to 120cm below the surface. In these areas professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. That said, I'd carefully investigate this interface before pushing into steeper terrain, especially in shallower snowpack areas where this weakness may show prolonged reactivity. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow has buried a highly variable old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed terrain, widespread near surface faceting, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate to strong winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow into wind slabs in wind exposed terrain. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the upper snowpack below the new storm snow, a couple old freezing rain crusts from late-December may exist depending on your location. The mid-December surface hoar layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Variable wind effect in the Alpine, with pockets of fresh wind slab immediately below ridge-crest and in crossloaded features. The Dec 18th interface is buried 40 to 70cm at Treeline and remains a concern for human triggering. The Nov crust is buried up to 100cm deep and is exhibiting facetting both above and below the crust. At lower elevations (2100m and lower in some places!) the snowpack is weak and unsupportive due to prolonged periods of facetting.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mountains of the South Coast region received 15-20cm of snow over Sunday and Monday. The southwest flow of the storm, followed by strong northeast winds over Tuesday resulted in pockets of wind slab being formed on all aspects in exposed areas. A thin rain crust can be found 5cm below the surface at treeline and below. This has limited the wind redistribution at lower elevations. The new wind slabs have already gained considerable strength but could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain at higher elevations where this crust does not exist. The new snow came in wet and heavy (especially in the North Shore mountains) and bonded well to 15 cm of settling snow from Friday's storm. Friday's snow buried a variable interface composed of faceted (sugary) snow and old hard wind slabs (especially at higher elevations). Recent reports suggest the snow has bonded well to this interface. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes.</span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-30 cm of recent snow has buried variable old snow surfaces. These surfaces consist of wind scoured or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and/or widespread faceted (sugary) old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow on leeward terrain. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a plethora of old snow surfaces which consists of wind scoured surfaces, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent moderate winds from all directions is has redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes and behind terrain features.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak facet layer has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment, but its status may change if we head into a warmer, wetter period next week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces which consist of heavily wind scoured snow and wind slabs, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions is expected to have redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes. The mid pack appears to be quite variable throughout the region and the structure is dependant on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. Due to inconsistencies in snowpack structure region wide, its a good idea to dig down and test weak layers in your local riding area. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wildly variable wind effect is the main story here. In the days since the last storm (Sunday-Monday), winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with strong winds at ridge top for 24 hours. By and large this 'reverse loaded' snow in the alpine and also affected treeline elevations too. Touchy windslabs (5-40 cm thick) formed on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll overs. These slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack and our colder-than-usual temperatures of late mean the upper snowpack will be slower than usual to heal. Deeper in the snowpack, the new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_C9E15120"> The main story is widespread variability due to all the shifting wind patterns, distributing and redistributing snow over the past few weeks. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">25-30cm of low density snow fell over Sunday and Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. During the storm, moderate southwesterly winds distributed the new snow onto north and east aspects, forming reactive soft slabs. After the storm, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns on Tuesday with moderate winds at ridge top. This pattern resulted in 'reverse loading' of wind slabs onto southerly slopes as far down as 2050m in the north (Duffey Lake zone) and 1700m in the south (Coquihalla area). These new, old and variable wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. The older wind slabs from a week ago (on south to west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack with recent cold temperatures having slowed their healing into the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent strong winds (southeast through northeast) have redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from Friday-Saturday at all elevation bands. This snow sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. The net result is touchy slabs on wind-loaded features that are giving easy to moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer which is well preserved in southern areas. This surface hoar is now buried 60-100 cm deep, and is still reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at and below treeline. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent wind transport has shifted low density snow into wind slabs at upper elevations. Recently temperatures have been warmer in the alpine than in the valley, which may have made the alpine snow slightly firmer (in sheltered locations - it's already firm where it's been drifted by wind). Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak facetted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. These hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near or at the ground. In addition to the facets, a thick layer of buried surface hoar may be found 30-40 cm below the surface. There is another persistent weakness that formed during the early December cold snap which is now about 50-70 cm deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow has been shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow has been shifted by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas.</span><span class="s_EB2EB4FA"> In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-December facet layer lies up to 120cm below the surface. In these areas professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas like those, I'd carefully investigate this interface before pushing into steeper terrain. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a plethora of old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate to strong winds from all directions has redistributed some of this new snow into reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. Below this exists a couple of old freezing rain crusts from late-December, depending on your location. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Wind effect primarily on lee features and cross loaded areas in Alpine. Some areas have evidence of reverse loading from the northern winds so even look for these slabs on S and W aspects in some areas.&nbsp; Faceted snow pack from top to bottom up to 2400m. Ski penetration to ground up to 2150m in most areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> The mountains of the South Coast region received 15-20cm of snow over Sunday and Monday. The southwest flow of the storm, followed by strong northeast winds on Tuesday resulted in pockets of wind slab being formed on all aspects in exposed areas. A thin rain crust can be found 5cm below the surface at treeline and below. This has limited the wind redistribution at lower elevations. The new wind slabs have already gained considerable strength but could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain at higher elevations where this crust does not exist. The new snow came in wet and heavy (especially in the North Shore mountains) and bonded well to 15 cm of settling snow from last Friday's storm. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. Moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds have shifted these fresh accumulations into reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-30 cm of recent snow has buried variable old snow surfaces. These surfaces consist of wind scoured or old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and widespread faceted (sugary) old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions has redistributed some of this new snow on leeward terrain, building reactive wind slabs. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions but its status may change as we head into a warmer, wetter period next week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a plethora of old snow surfaces which consists of wind scoured surfaces, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent moderate winds from all directions is has redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes and behind terrain features.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak facet layer has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment especially in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change if we head into a warmer, wetter period next week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces. These consist of heavily wind scoured areas and old wind slabs, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and widespread faceted (sugary) old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions has redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes, forming reactive wind slabs. The mid pack appears to be quite variable throughout the region and the structure is dependent on snow depth. 50-80 cm of consolidated snow sits above the mid-December facets. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets (full depth avalanche). At this point it seems like a low probability, high consequence scenario. However; once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming then the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wildly variable wind effect is the main story here. In the days since the last storm on Sunday-Monday, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with strong winds at ridge top for 24 hours. By and large this 'reverse loaded' snow in the alpine and also affected treeline elevations too. Touchy windslabs (5-40 cm thick) formed on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll overs. These slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack and our colder-than-usual temperatures of late mean the upper snowpack will be slower than usual to heal. Deeper in the snowpack, the new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The main story is widespread variability due to all the shifting wind patterns, distributing and redistributing snow over the past few weeks. 25-30cm of low density snow fell over Sunday and Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. During the storm, moderate southwesterly winds distributed the new snow onto north and east aspects, forming reactive soft slabs. After the storm, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns on Tuesday with moderate winds at ridge top. This pattern resulted in 'reverse loading' of wind slabs onto southerly slopes as far down as 1850m in the north (Duffey Lake zone) and 1700m in the south (Coquihalla area). These new, old and variable wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. The older wind slabs from a week ago (on south to west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack with recent cold temperatures having slowed their healing into the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 15cm new snow on Thursday into Friday near Stewart (and only 3-4 cm near Terrace). Expect this new snow (and all the snow that will come on Saturday) to bond poorly to all the windslabs that formed during the latest arctic outbreak winds. Those strong arctic winds (southeast through northeast) redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from a week ago at all elevation bands... and it sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. The net result is touchy slabs on wind-loaded features that are giving easy to moderate sudden results in snowpack tests. Below the new snow, a well settled slab sits above the Christmas surface hoar layer which is well preserved in southern areas. This surface hoar is now buried 60-100 cm deep, and is still reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at and below treeline. Deeper weak layers have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. This includes a facet layer from early December that has been reactive in snowpack tests at lower elevations in the southern part of the region, and weak facets near the ground that have produced avalanches in the northern part of the region.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Saturday, expect 15-40 cm of new snow, which combined with warming temperatures and strong winds will form a widespread storm slab problem. Storm slabs will be extra thick and touchy on wind-loaded features. The new snow is burying a layer of feathery surface hoar crystals, which will allow for wide propagations in the storm snow. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak faceted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. With the additional load of the new snow these hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near or at the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow has been shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas like those, I'd carefully investigate this interface before pushing into steeper terrain.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a plethora of old snow surface. This interface consists of wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent moderate to strong winds from all directions has redistributed some of this new snow into reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. Below this exists a couple of old freezing rain crusts from late-December, depending on your location. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">However; once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming then the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Windslabs should be expected in Alpine terrain along ridgelines and in crossloaded gully features.  These slabs have become slightly more dense over the past 24hrs due to the sw winds beginning to increase at higher elevations.  Ski cutting on Thursday on a steep S aspect was priducing minor cracking but releases.  Below the upper snowpack windslabs there is a midpack that consists mainly of facets.  The Nov 12th crust has began to facet out and decompose in many areas.  As a result of the poor base, any avalanche that is intitiated in the upper snowpack will likely involve the entire snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> The mountains of the South Coast region received 15-20cm of snow over Sunday and Monday. The southwest flow of the storm, followed by strong northeast winds on Tuesday resulted in pockets of wind slab being formed on all exposed aspects at higher elevations. A thick crust can be found 5-10cm below the surface at treeline and below, and has limited the wind redistribution at lower elevations. The new wind slabs have already gained considerable strength but could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain at higher elevations where this crust does not exist. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in some areas. Reports also exist of a sun crust beginning to form on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. During and in the days after the storm, moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds shifted this snow into reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15 to 30 cm of recent snow has been formed into reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. These new wind slabs rest on an old surface consisting of ageing wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and widespread &quot;sugary&quot; facets. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions. This may change as the air temperature begins to rise as warm air floods into the region next week. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent storm snow has buried a plethora of old surfaces (wind scoured, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow.) M</span><span class="s_3FE45715">oderate winds from all directions have formed widespread wind slabs which can be found on lee slopes and behind mid-slope terrain features.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change as the temperatures warm next week. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces. These consist of heavily wind scoured areas and old wind slabs, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and widespread faceted (sugary) old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions have redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes, forming reactive wind slabs. The mid pack appears to be quite variable throughout the region and the structure is dependent on snow depth. 50 to 80 cm of consolidated snow sits above the mid-December facets. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche. At this point it seems like a low probability, high consequence scenario. However; once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wildly variable wind effect is the main story here. In the days since the last storm on Sunday-Monday, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns with strong winds at ridge top for 24 hours. By and large this 'reverse loaded' snow in the alpine and also affected treeline elevations too. Touchy windslabs (5-40 cm thick) formed on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll overs. These slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack and our colder-than-usual temperatures of late mean the upper snowpack will be slower than usual to heal. Deeper in the snowpack, the new snow from Sunday night and also last Friday is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The main story is widespread variability due to all the shifting wind patterns, distributing and redistributing snow over the past few weeks. 25-30cm of low density snow fell over Sunday and Monday in the southern (Coquihalla) area, while northern sections received 7-15cms of new snow. During the storm, moderate southwesterly winds distributed the new snow onto north and east aspects, forming reactive soft slabs. After the storm, winds shifted to classic outflow (northerly) patterns on Tuesday with moderate winds at ridge top. This pattern resulted in 'reverse loading' of wind slabs onto southerly slopes as far down as 1850m in the north (Duffey Lake zone) and 1700m in the south (Coquihalla area). These new, old and variable wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack. The older wind slabs from a week ago (on south to west aspects) remain a concern in our current snowpack with recent cold temperatures having slowed their healing into the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had a significant warming trend since the arctic outbreak, and a large storm snowfall gradient (10-15cm in the south ; 50cm near Stewart). Expect this new snow to bond poorly to all the windslabs (and a spotty layer of surface hoar and facets buried Jan 12th)  that formed during last week's arctic outbreak conditions. Those strong arctic winds (southeast through northeast) redistributed the 20-40 cm of snow from a week ago at all elevation bands... and it sits on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. With the recent new snow loading, the deeper slabs are expected to remain touchy, especially on southwest facing wind-loaded features. Deeper in the snowpack, the Christmas surface hoar layer (buried 70-120 cm) is still preserved in some southern areas and might still be reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at treeline. Deeper weak layers (early December facets) have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5 to 30 cm of snow fell Friday night into Saturday accompanied by light to moderate southwest wind and warm temperatures. This new snow is expected to form a widespread storm slab problem that should be very touchy on lee features at all elevations. The new snow is burying a layer of feathery surface hoar crystals, which will likely allow for wide propagations in the storm snow. Snow depth at treeline varies from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak faceted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. With the additional load of new snow these hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. Below this surface, our recent new snow was shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 7mm in size below treeline. Below the surface, recent new snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas, professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas such as these, careful evaluation of this facet layer is a prerequisite to any push into steeper terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 15mm in size below treeline. A sun crust has also been reported forming on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, u</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">p to 20 cm of recent snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong winds from all directions, forming reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. The recent snow buried a plethora of old snow surfaces, including wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">However, once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Variable depth wind slabs are found in Alpine terrain along ridgelines and in cross-loaded gully features. Snowpack tests today indicate failures in the moderate range down 35cm, as well as on the Nov crust layer buried deeply in the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> Much of the snowpack is very weak and facetted, especially at lower elevations. Any avalanche that is initiated in the upper snowpack will likely step down and involve the entire snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had some sunshine and warm temperatures (as high as +6 on Grouse mountain) at higher elevations on Saturday. Expect to find a lovely sun crust on solar (south) aspects. Earlier in the week, pockets of wind slab formed on exposed aspects at higher elevations. A thick crust can be found 5-10cm below the surface at treeline and below, and has limited the wind redistribution at lower elevations. The new wind slabs have already gained considerable strength but could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain at alpine elevations where this crust does not exist. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in some areas. Reports also exist of a sun crust beginning to form on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. During and in the days after the storm, moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds shifted this snow into reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15 to 30 cm of recent snow has formed reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. These wind slabs rest on an old surface consisting of old wind slabs in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered terrain, and widespread &quot;sugary&quot; facets. The layer of facets from mid-December is still reactive to snowpack tests in isolated areas, but is generally considered to be dormant during this period of cold, dry conditions. This may change as the air temperature begins to rise as warm air floods into the region Monday night.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 20 cm of recent storm snow has buried a plethora of old surfaces (wind scoured, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow). M</span><span class="s_3FE45715">oderate winds from all directions have formed widespread wind slabs which can be found on lee slopes and behind mid-slope terrain features.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change as the temperatures warm this week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of recent snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces. These consist of heavily wind scoured areas and old wind slabs, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and widespread faceted (sugary) old snow. Recent moderate winds from a variety of directions have redistributed some of this new snow on leeward slopes, forming reactive wind slabs.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid pack appears to be quite variable throughout the region and the structure is dependent on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December weak layer found 50 to 80 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche. At this point it seems like a low probability, high consequence scenario. However; once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We have wildly variable surface conditions due to wind and sun effect. The pleasant warm weather this weekend resulted in a sun crust on steep solar (south) aspects. Last week, strong winds 'reverse loaded' snow in the alpine and also affected treeline elevations too. Touchy wind slabs (5-40 cm thick) formed on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll-overs. These slabs are the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack, giving easy sudden planar results in snowpack tests. Deeper in the snowpack, older snow is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We have widespread variability in the surface snow conditions due to all the shifting wind patterns, and the sunshine this weekend. The pleasant warm weather this weekend resulted in a sun crust on steep solar (south) aspects. During last week's arctic outbreak, we had 'reverse loading' of storm snow - forming wind slabs on southerly slopes as far down as 1850m in the north (Duffey Lake zone) and 1700m in the south (Coquihalla area). These new, old and variable wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack and will likely remain problematic when loaded with the incoming new snow. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had a significant warming trend since the arctic outbreak, and a large storm snowfall gradient (15-30cm in the south ; 50-70cm near Stewart). The new snow fell with moderate to strong SW winds, and formed touchy soft slabs and wind slabs. Expect this new snow to bond poorly to all the windslabs (and a spotty layer of surface hoar and facets buried Jan 12th) that formed during last week's arctic outbreak conditions. The older wind slabs sit on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. If you're starting to think it's a dog's breakfast, you're right! With the recent new snow loading, the deeper slabs are expected to remain reactive, especially on southwest facing features near ridge crests. Deeper in the snowpack, the Christmas surface hoar layer (buried 70-120 cm) is still preserved in some southern areas and might still be reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at treeline. Deeper weak layers (early December facets) have only been reactive in areas with thin snowpacks.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A steady pulse of storms will continue to build reactive storms slabs throughout the region. Expect another 10-20 cm of new snow by Monday morning, bringing storm snow totals anywhere from 20-40 cm in the southern parts of the region up to 80 cm in the northern parts of the region. With strong winds and rising freezing levels, expect touchy storm slabs throughout the week. The new snow has buried a layer of feathery surface hoar crystals, which will likely allow for wide propagations in the storm snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snow depths at treeline vary from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak faceted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. With the additional load of new snow these hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow crystals near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. Below this surface, our recent new snow was shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below treeline. Below the surface, our recent storm snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas, professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas such as these, recent cold temperatures have had the effect of weakening the entire snowpack, not just its upper layers. A careful evaluation of this facet layer is strongly advised before to any push into steeper terrain in a shallow snowpack area.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 15mm in size below treeline. A sun crust has also been reported forming on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, u</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">p to 20 cm of recent snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong winds from all directions, forming reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. The recent snow buried a plethora of old snow surfaces, including wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">However, once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Variable depth wind slabs are found in Alpine terrain and just down into Treeline. Recent snowpack tests indicate failures in the moderate range down 35cm, as well as on the Nov crust layer buried deeply in the snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> Much of the snowpack is very weak and facetted, especially at lower elevations. Any avalanche that is initiated in the upper snowpack will likely step down and involve the entire snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had some sunshine and warm temperatures (as high as +6 on Grouse mountain on Saturday) through the weekend. Expect to find a lovely sun crust on solar (south) aspects. Earlier in the week, pockets of wind slab formed on exposed aspects at higher elevations. A thick crust can be found 5-10cm below the surface at treeline and below, and has limited the wind redistribution at lower elevations. The new wind slabs have already gained considerable strength but could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain at alpine elevations where this crust does not exist. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The new storm is arriving overnight. Storm slabs are expected to develop above existing weak layers. I have left the previous snowpack description that describes what the new snow will be landing on. Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in some areas. Reports also exist of a sun crust beginning to form on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, up to 30 cm of low density snow fell earlier this week. During and in the days after the storm, moderate to strong southwest and then northerly winds shifted this snow into reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect 10-20 cm of new snow on Tuesday with greater accumulations in the northern part of the region. The new snow, wind, and warming will build touchy storm slabs that will be extra thick and reactive on wind-loaded features. In sheltered areas, the new snow is burying a layer of feathery surface hoar that may produce surprisingly wide propagations. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was considered dormant during the recent cold weather, but may become reactive as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Increasing winds are causing widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and treeline terrain and forming touchy wind slabs on lee features. Last week, 20 cm of low density snow buried a plethora of old surfaces (wind scoured, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow). Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change as the temperatures warm throughout the week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Increasing winds are causing widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and treeline terrain and forming reactive wind slabs on lee features. The mid pack is quite variable throughout the region and the structure depends on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December facet layer found 50 to 80 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche. Triggering these deeper weak layers will become more likely this week as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Before the incoming Monday storm, we had wildly variable surface conditions due to wind and sun effect. The pleasant warm weather this weekend resulted in a sun crust on steep solar (south) aspects. Last week, strong winds 'reverse loaded' snow in the alpine and also affected treeline elevations too. Touchy wind slabs (5-40 cm thick) formed on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll-overs. These slabs were the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack, giving easy sudden planar results in snowpack tests. Deeper in the snowpack, older snow is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We have widespread variability in the surface snow conditions due to all the shifting wind patterns, and the sunshine this weekend. The pleasant warm weather this weekend resulted in a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects below 1650m. During last week's arctic outbreak, we had 'reverse loading' of storm snow - forming wind slabs on southerly slopes as far down as 1850m in the north (Duffey Lake zone) and 1700m in the south (Coquihalla area). These new, old and variable wind slabs are the primary weaknesses of concern in the snowpack and will likely remain problematic when loaded with the incoming new snow.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> We've had a significant warming trend since the arctic outbreak, and a large storm snowfall gradient (25-35cm in the south ; 60-80cm near Stewart). The new snow fell with moderate to strong SW winds, and formed touchy soft slabs and wind slabs. Expect this new snow to bond poorly to all the windslabs (and a spotty layer of surface hoar and facets buried Jan 12th) that formed during last week's arctic outbreak conditions. The older wind slabs sit on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. If you're starting to think it's a dog's breakfast, you're right! With the recent new snow loading, the deeper slabs have remained reactive, especially on southwest facing features near ridge crests. Deeper in the snowpack, the Christmas surface hoar layer (buried 70-120 cm) is still preserved in some southern areas and has been reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at treeline and below treeline. Lower elevations (below treeline) have moist snow below 1000m elevation, making for heavy and difficult riding.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect another 10-20 cm of new snow by Tuesday, bringing recent storm snow totals to 20-40 cm in the southern part of the region. With strong winds and rising freezing levels, expect touchy storm slabs throughout the week. The new snow has buried a layer of feathery surface hoar crystals, which will allow for wide propagations in the storm snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snow depths at treeline vary from about 1 m in most areas to 2 m in deeper snowpack areas in the south and west of the region. The shallow snowpack areas mostly consist of weak faceted or sugary grains beneath hard slabs. With the additional load of new snow and rain, these hard slabs may produce surprisingly long fractures resulting in large avalanches, and in some instances they may step down to weak faceted snow near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The forecast new storm is expected to arrive overnight. I have left this description in to remind you what the storm snow is landing on. Cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. Below this surface, our recent new snow was shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">I have left this previous description in to remind you of what may exist below the forecast new snow. Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below treeline. Below the surface, our recent storm snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas, professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas such as these, recent cold temperatures have had the effect of weakening the entire snowpack, not just its upper layers. A careful evaluation of this facet layer is strongly advised before to any push into steeper terrain in a shallow snowpack area.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The new storm is arriving overnight and expected to intensify during the day. Expect new storm slabs to develop above existing weak layers described here. Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 15mm in size below treeline. A sun crust has also been reported forming on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, u</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">p to 20 cm of recent snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong winds from all directions, forming reactive wind slabs on a variety of aspects. The recent snow buried a plethora of old snow surfaces, including wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">However, once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Wind slabs up to 35cm deep are found in various areas of the Alpine from lee-, cross-, and reverse-loading. These slabs are also found in isolated areas at Treeline. Snowpack tests continue to indicate failures in the moderate range down 35cm, as well as on the Nov crust layer buried deeply in the snowpack. Overall the snowpack is very weak and facetted, especially at lower elevations. Avalanches initiated in the upper snowpack will likely step down and involve the entire snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> We had some sunshine and warm temperatures (as high as +6 on Grouse mountain on Saturday) through the weekend. A widespread melt-freeze crust formed on most aspects and elevations at treeline and below. In the same elevation band, a thick crust can be found 5-10cm below the surface, which has kept the snowpack quite stable. Higher up in the alpine, old wind slabs from last week could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New storm slabs are developing due to loading from new snow and wind. These storm slabs are sitting on variable old surfaces including surface hoar and wind slabs that developed during the recent cold and clear weather. Reports also exist of a sun crust that formed on steep solar aspects. Below the old surface, up to 30 cm of low density snow fell last week, that was transported by shifting winds resulting in wind slabs on several aspects. The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect 10-20 cm of new snow Tuesday night into Wednesday with greater accumulations in the southern part of the region. The new snow, wind, and warming will build touchy storm slabs that will be extra thick and reactive on wind-loaded features. In sheltered areas, the new snow is burying a layer of feathery surface hoar that may produce surprisingly wide propagations. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was considered dormant during the recent cold weather, but may become reactive as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent winds have caused widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and tree line terrain forming touchy wind slabs on lee features. These are now buried by a blanket of new snow. Last week's 20 cm of low density snow buried a variety of old surfaces (wind scoured, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow). Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change as the temperatures warm throughout the week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and treeline terrain has formed reactive wind slabs on lee features. The mid pack is quite variable throughout the region and the structure depends on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December facet layer found 50 to 80 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche. Triggering these deeper weak layers will become more likely this week as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The simplified take on the snowpack: We have rapid loading of suspect layers which will cause avalanches. It's best to avoid avalanche terrain during this time and let the storm (and avalanche) cycle run its course and check back in on Thursday afternoon.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The detailed take on the snowpack: On Monday into Tuesday we had rain up to 2200m near Whistler (and 8cm snow).  Other zones like the upper Callaghan got 35cm snow! The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable: Last week we had very touchy wind slabs (5-40 cm thick) forming on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll-overs. These slabs were the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack, giving easy sudden planar results in snowpack tests. Deeper in the snowpack, older snow is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Sunday night into Monday defied the forecasts and we had a huge snowfall gradient across the region: Manning got 0cm ; the Coquihalla got 12mm rain ; the Duffey got 35cm snow and to cap it off Tenquille Lake got 50cm snow! This new precipitation fell on a wide variety of surface snow conditions:</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">IN THE SOUTH (COQUIHALLA): There was a widespread melt-freeze crust up to 1650m (which probably got soaked with rain). From ridge top down to 1700m there are multiple wind slab layers on southerly aspects from the arctic outbreak events in December &amp; January. These lingering wind slabs will likely remain reactive with the incoming precipitation (whether it falls as rain or snow) so use extra caution in your terrain choice. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">IN THE NORTH (DUFFEY LAKE RD): The melt-freeze crust from the weekend was limited to steep solar (south) aspects. Wind slabs were found on a variety of aspects (primarily southerly) as far down as 1850m. All the new snow (35cm+) in this zone is not expected to bond well to the old snow interfaces.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> We've had a significant warming trend since the arctic outbreak, and a large storm snowfall gradient (30-40cm in the south ; 60-80cm near Stewart). The new snow fell with moderate to strong SW winds, and formed touchy soft slabs and wind slabs. Expect this new snow to bond poorly to all the windslabs (and a spotty layer of surface hoar and facets buried Jan 12th) that formed during last week's arctic outbreak conditions. The older wind slabs sit on a variable interface composed of hard wind slabs, weak surface hoar (Jan 5/6 layer) and faceted snow. If you're starting to think it's a dog's breakfast, you're right! With the recent new snow loading, the deeper slabs have remained reactive, especially on southwest facing features near ridge crests. Deeper in the snowpack, the Christmas surface hoar layer (buried 70-120 cm) is still preserved in some southern areas and has been reactive in sheltered areas and steep open features at treeline and below treeline. Lower elevations (below treeline) have moist snow below 1000m elevation, making for heavy and difficult riding.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-15 cm of new snow now sits on a mix of old surfaces left behind after the recent cold and windy weather. Expect the new storm snow to bond poorly where it is sitting on a weak layer of buried surface hoar and/or a hard old wind polished surface. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack that is about 100-140 cm at treeline. In general, the snowpack above treeline has been heavily wind effected; this has resulted in hard wind slabs above weak facettted crystals. The snowpack below treeline in sheltered areas may be unconsolidated with foot penetration close to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Storm snow continues to develop storm slabs on all aspects and at all elevations. These new storm slabs are sitting on variable old surfaces that include surface hoar, and hard wind slabs. Before the storm, recent cold and clear weather had promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. Below this surface, our recent new snow was shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. These accumulations have covered old, thicker wind slabs from previous wind events. A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The new storm brought variable snow fall amounts to this region overnight. Chappel creek had 35 cm and near Blue River there was 24cm reported. The developing storm slab is expected to be sensitive to light additional loads, and may release naturally with continued loading from new snow and wind. Previous to the new storm, recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below treeline. Below the surface, our recent storm snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas, professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A storm is arriving overnight Tuesday and expected to intensify during the day on Wednesday. Expect new storm slabs to develop above existing weak layers described here. Recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 15mm in size below treeline. A sun crust has also been reported forming on steep solar aspects. Beneath </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">a variety of old snow surfaces are buried, including wind scoured surfaces and old wind slabs, widespread near surface faceting (sugary snow), surface hoar in sheltered locations, and/or a breakable sun crust on steep solar aspects. The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer typically sits down 40-70 cm. This layer is still reactive to some snowpack tests in some areas but is currently considered to be dormant or inactive. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">However, once the snowpack starts to see a big change, like warming, the likelihood of triggering may increase.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Trace amounts of new snow have fallen in the past 24hrs and very light flurries were falling this afternoon. The snowpack is settling due to the recent warm temperatures. Surface snow was moist on solar aspects up to 2100m and this may extend higher in elevation (this is unconfirmed). Intense snow transport was observed at ridge crest and it is very likely that further wind slab development has occurred in the Alpine. The remainder of the snowpack remains weak and facetted, and it is likely that an avalanche initiating in the upper snowpack will steep down to the basal layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The rains have begun to saturate the snowpack up to alpine elevations. This includes a widespread melt-freeze crust which formed over the weekend on most aspects and elevations at treeline and below. In the same elevation band, a thick crust can be found 5-10cm below the surface, which has kept the snowpack quite stable. Higher up in the alpine, old wind slabs from last week could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain, especially if loaded by new snow or saturated by rain. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New storm slabs have developed due to loading from new snow and wind. These storm slabs are sitting on variable old surfaces including surface hoar and wind slabs that developed during the recent cold and clear weather along with a sun crust that formed on steep solar aspects. Below, the mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. Particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-20 cm of new snow accumulation, wind, and warming have built touchy wind slabs on wind-loaded features. In sheltered areas, the new snow is burying a layer of feathery surface hoar that may produce surprisingly wide propagations. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was considered dormant during the recent cold weather, but may become reactive as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10 cm overnight combined with another 10 cm during the day on Wednesday has developed storm slabs at higher elevations. Recent winds have caused widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and tree line terrain forming touchy wind slabs on lee features. These are now buried by a blanket of new snow. Last week's 20 cm of low density snow buried a variety of old surfaces (wind scoured, old wind slabs, surface hoar up to 20 mm in sheltered terrain, and/or faceted old snow). Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets has been more prominent and reactive in the Corbin area than areas closer to Fernie. The layer is generally considered dormant at the moment in deeper snowpack areas, but its status may change as the temperatures warm throughout the week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent widespread wind affect in exposed alpine and treeline terrain has formed reactive wind slabs on lee features. The mid pack is quite variable throughout the region and the structure depends on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns for the mid-December facet layer found 50 to 80 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted and there are concerns for the mid-December weak facet layer as well as weak basal facets. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on the basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche. Triggering these deeper weak layers will become more likely this week as warm temperatures soften the overlying slab.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rapid snow, wind and rain loading continues with fluctuating freezing levels. By Wednesday morning freezing levels had dropped, and another 30 cm or more of new snow fell as low as treeline elevations, with extreme southerly winds in the alpine. On Monday into Tuesday we had rain up to 2200m near Whistler, while in other zones like the upper Callaghan it was 35 cm or more of fresh snow. The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of previous surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable: Last week we had very touchy wind slabs (5-40 cm thick) forming on southerly slopes near ridge crests and roll-overs. These slabs were the primary weakness of concern in the snowpack, giving easy sudden planar results in snowpack tests. Deeper in the snowpack, older snow is bonding fairly well to a variable surface consisting of a mix of soft wind slabs, hard wind slabs, sastrugi, faceted snow, and even some surface hoar. Snowpack layers below this interface are generally well bonded, and the lower snowpack is solid.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): Heavy rain up to treeline elevations is likely soaking a previous surface crust that extended up to 1650m or multiple wind slab layers on southerly aspects from the arctic outbreak events in December &amp; January. These lingering wind slabs will likely remain reactive with the incoming precipitation (whether it falls as rain or snow) so use extra caution in your terrain choice. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): By Wednesday morning abother 35 cm of fresh snow added to the previous 35-50 cm, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">There is 40-60 cm of storm snow in the south of the region that has been transported by strong southwest winds in the alpine and at treeline over the past few days. The freezing level has been around 1200 metres, and below this level the snowpack is moist or wet. It is cooler in the north, and the storm totals were between 60-80 cm with significant wind transport. As the storm snow settles into a slab, we are concerned that several of the weak surface hoar or facet interfaces that developed during cold and clear weather may become reactive. The January 5th layer is down 50-80 cm , and the December 25th is now down close to 100 cm in deeper snowpack areas. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it may take some time to gain confidence regarding the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers. Areas exposed to cornice fall should be avoided due to the possibility of a cornice triggering a deep weak layer. Below treeline the snow is moist or wet and may be easily triggered as a loose wet avalanche in steep terrain. I suggest a conservative approach to terrain while gathering info after the storm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-25 cm of new storm snow that has been transported by the southwest winds now sits on a mix of old surfaces left behind after the recent cold and windy weather. Expect the new storm snow to bond poorly where it is sitting on a weak layer of buried surface hoar and/or a hard old wind polished surface. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack that is about 120-150 cm at treeline. In general, the snowpack above treeline has been heavily wind effected; this has resulted in hard wind slabs above weak facettted crystals. The snowpack below treeline in sheltered areas may be unconsolidated with foot penetration close to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Storm snow continues to develop storm slabs on all aspects and at all elevations. These new storm slabs are sitting on variable old surfaces that include surface hoar, and hard wind slabs. Before the storm, recent cold and clear weather had promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. Below this surface, our recent new snow was shifted first by southwesterly winds and then by northerly winds. As a result, buried wind slabs exist on a variety of aspects at upper elevations. A layer of faceted &quot;sugar snow&quot; and spotty surface hoar which formed during December's cold snap now lies roughly 1 metre below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. I'd continue to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The most recent storm brought variable snow fall amounts to this region. The storm slab is expected to be sensitive to light additional loads, and may release naturally with continued loading from new snow and wind. Previous to the new storm, recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that has been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below treeline. Below the surface, our recent storm snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas, professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Wednesday morning 15-25 cm of fresh snow had fallen across the region accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer is now likely down 50-90 cm and may become reactive again with continued loading and warming</span><span class="s_3FE45715">. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Heavy rain is saturating the snowpack up to alpine elevations. Crusts on and just below the snow surface have kept the snowpack quite stable and will continue to do so once the temperatures drop below freezing again. Higher up in the alpine, old wind slabs from last week could remain reactive on steeper unsupported terrain, especially if loaded by new snow or saturated by rain. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow and moderate to strong southwest winds have developed storm and wind slabs. These have buried a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, sun crust on steep solar aspects and wind slabs. Below, the mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. Particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-30 cm of new snow accumulation, wind and warming have built wind slabs on wind-loaded features. In sheltered areas, the new snow has possibly buried a layer of feathery surface hoar. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was considered dormant during the recent cold weather, but may still become reactive with the recent warm temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A warm wet storm has delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. The new snow has formed a widespread storm slab problem at higher elevations and a loose wet problem at lower elevations. Thicker storm slabs can be found on wind-loaded northeast slopes. Two layers of surface hoar that formed in early January exist in isolated sheltered areas and are now buried about 40 cm deep. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-December persistent weak layer of facets can be found buried about a metre deep and is generally considered dormant, but its status could change with ongoing warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries and winds have formed thin wind slabs on lee features in exposed terrain at all elevations. The lower snowpack is quite variable throughout the region and the structure depends on snow depth. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled and right side up with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50 to 100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted. If a persistent slab is triggered from thinner snowpack areas it may release on basal facets resulting in a full depth avalanche.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rapid snow and wind loading continues with fluctuating freezing levels creating storm snow weaknesses. By Thursday morning another 25 cm of new snow brought storm snow totals to 50-100cm, which has been redistributed by southerly winds. On Monday into Tuesday we had rain up to 2200m near Whistler, while in other zones like the upper Callaghan it was 35 cm or more of fresh snow. The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of previous surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable with weaknesses within and under the recent storm snow.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of fresh snow is likely bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, touchy fresh wind slabs are likely forming. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Another 35 cm of fresh snow by Thursday morning brings the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow are likely also highly sensitive to triggering.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-60 cm of storm snow in the south of the region has been transported by strong southwest winds in the alpine and at treeline over the past few days. The freezing level has been around 1200 m, and below this level the snowpack is moist or wet. As the storm snow settles into a slab, we are concerned that several of the weak surface hoar or facet interfaces that developed during cold and clear weather may become reactive. The January 5th layer is down 50-80 cm, and the December 25th layer is now down close to 100 cm in deeper snowpack areas. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it may take some time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers. Areas exposed to cornice fall should be avoided due to the possibility of a cornice triggering a deep weak layer. I suggest a conservative approach to terrain while gathering info after the storm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-25 cm of new storm snow has been transported by southwest winds and now sits on a mix of old surfaces left behind after the recent cold and windy weather. Expect the new storm snow to bond poorly where it is sitting on a weak layer of buried surface hoar and/or a hard old wind polished surface. The freezing level recently reached 1000 m, and below this level the snowpack is likely moist and will eventually form a hard crust. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack that is about 120-150 cm at treeline. In general, the snowpack above treeline has been heavily wind effected; this has resulted in hard wind slabs above weak faceted snow.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The most recent new snow and southwest wind have formed storm and wind slabs that are sitting on a variety old surfaces that include facets, surface hoar and hard wind slabs. The newly buried surface hoar was reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. A layer of sugary faceted snow and spotty surface hoar which formed during mid December's cold snap now lies 100-120cm below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The most recent storm brought variable snow fall amounts to this region ranging from 40-60cm. The storm slab has been sensitive to additional loads. Previous to the new storm, recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that had been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below tree line. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Thursday morning another 15-25 cm added the previous 15-25 cm of fresh snow accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> The mid-December surface hoar/ facet layer is now likely down 50-90 cm and may become reactive again with continued loading and warming</span><span class="s_3FE45715">. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from the last storm cycle has been re-distributed by the strong to extreme westerly winds. This transport is more evident at the alpine elevations where crossloading and lee loading have occurred. These new wind slabs will are easily seen and/or predicted on N to SE aspects. Treeline suffers from the same problem, however the loading pattern is a bit trickier to predict. The slabs are 10-20cm thick and reactive to skier terrain in steep, unsupported terrain. The treeline midpack, is still considered weak and un supportive. Below treeline, the coverage is still shallow with very poor travel conditions when off an existing trail. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">As of Thursday afternoon around 15cm of fresh snow above 1000 m was likely bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface. At alpine elevations fresh wind slabs could be touchy. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent new snow and moderate to strong southwest winds have developed storm and wind slabs. These have buried a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, sun crust on steep solar aspects and wind slabs. Below, the mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weakness can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. Particularly in shallow spots where this layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-30 cm of recent new snow accumulation, wind and warming have built wind slabs on wind-loaded features. In sheltered areas, the new snow has possibly buried a layer of feathery surface hoar. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was considered dormant during the the previous cold weather, but may still become reactive with the recent warm temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A warm wet storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m on Thursday. Expect to find storm slabs at higher elevations, particularly on wind-loaded northeast slopes. At lower elevations moist snow will gradually freeze into a hard crust. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. A widespread weak layer of facets from mid-December can be found buried about a metre deep, but is generally considered dormant.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries and winds have formed hard wind slabs on lee features in exposed terrain, while warm temperatures have moistened the upper snowpack below treeline. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50 to 100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is heavily faceted. Triggering a persistent slab in thinner snowpack area may result in a full depth avalanche.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rapid snow and wind loading occurred during the week. The storm snow fell in fluctuating freezing levels, creating storm snow weaknesses. By Friday morning another 15 cm of new snow brought storm snow totals to 70-140cm, which has been redistributed by southerly winds. On Monday into Tuesday we had rain up to 2200m near Whistler, while in other zones like the upper Callaghan it was 35 cm or more of fresh snow. The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of previous surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable with weaknesses within and under the recent storm snow.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of fresh snow is likely bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, touchy fresh wind slabs are likely forming.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to 45 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning brings the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow are likely also highly sensitive to triggering.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A warm wet storm delivered 40-60 cm of heavy snow in the south of the region, with freezing levels reaching 1200 m. Expect to find storm slabs at higher elevations, particularly on wind-loaded northeast slopes. At lower elevations moist snow is gradually freezing into a crust. At this point there is some uncertainty as to how the deeper persistent weak layers will respond to the recent loading and warming. Several weak surface hoar and facet interfaces were reactive during the storm. This includes the January 5th layer is down 50-80 cm and the December 25th layer down close to 100 cm. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it may take some time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week's storm delivered 20-30 cm in the Smithers area and 40 cm or more in deeper areas to the north and west. Freezing levels reached up to 1600 m, leaving moist surface snow which is now freezing into a crust. Storm slabs may be lingering at higher elevations and may sit on a weak layer of surface hoar and/or old hard wind slabs. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack that is about 120-150 cm at treeline. In general, the lower snowpack consists of old hard wind slabs above weak faceted snow.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The most recent new snow and southwest wind have formed storm and wind slabs that are sitting on a variety old surfaces that include facets, surface hoar and hard wind slabs. The newly buried surface hoar was reported to be up to 10mm in size in protected areas. A layer of sugary faceted snow and spotty surface hoar which formed during mid December's cold snap now lies 100-120cm below the surface. This layer is now dormant in many areas, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, particularly around Clemina Creek. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The most recent storm brought variable snow fall amounts to this region ranging from 40-60cm. The storm slab has been sensitive to additional loads. Previous to the new storm, recent cold and clear weather has promoted both faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar that had been reported to be up to 7mm in size in sheltered areas below tree line. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">By Friday morning another 2-10 cm added to the previous 25-45 cm of fresh snow this week, accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now likely down 50-90 cm and has become reactive with continued loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-10cm of low density snow has fallen over the past 24hrs.  This snow has had very little wind affect and was a nice freshen up for the day.  At treeline and above there is 50-80cm of snow overlying the basal 30-50cm of facets.  Expect to encounter windslabs in crossloaded gullied features as well as along the lee sides of ridges.  Deeper in the snowpack are the basal facets.  Snowpack tests on friday are showing that these facets are failing with a sudden collapse in the moderate range.  These tests were done in a deeper snowpack area.  In thinner areas, we can expect these weak basal layers to fail easier.  The big take home message is the current snowpack is weak and well within the range of human triggerring.  Choose supportive slopes and avoid thin snowpack areas.  Below treeline, if you are not on an old trail, expect to be working as ski pen can be to ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> By Friday afternoon around 15-25cm of new snow above 1000 m was likely bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface. At alpine elevations fresh wind slabs could be touchy. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-50 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, widespread faceted old snow, and/or a sun crust on steep solar aspects. Strong southwest winds during the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains a concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-60 cm of recent new snow accumulation, wind, and warming have built storm slabs and wind slabs. In sheltered areas, the new snow has possibly buried a layer of feathery surface hoar. The main concern deeper in the snowpack is a layer of sugary facets from mid-December that can be found between 50 and 100 cm deep. This layer was a concern during the recent storm and warm weather but is now considered dormant again with colder temperatures and dry conditions. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A warm wet storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow on Thursday with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Storm slabs exist at higher elevations, particularly on wind-loaded northeast slopes. Crusts near the surface can be found on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries and winds have formed hard wind slabs on lee features in exposed terrain, while a melt-freeze cycle has left a crust at lower elevations (up to 1400 m in the west and 1900 m in the east). The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, variable winds have formed isolated hard slabs above the weak facets with the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rapid snow and wind loading occurred during the week. The storm snow fell in fluctuating freezing levels, creating storm snow weaknesses. By Friday morning another 15 cm of new snow brought storm snow totals to 70-140cm, which has been redistributed by southerly winds. Early last week we had rain up to 2200m near Whistler, while in other zones like the upper Callaghan it was 35 cm or more of fresh snow. The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of previous surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable with weaknesses within and under the recent storm snow. Of most recent concern is touchy pockets of wind slab that developed Friday on northwesterly features above 2000m.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of fresh snow is likely bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell and touchy wind slabs are likely forming on northerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to 45 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning brings the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have also been highly sensitive to triggering.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A warm wet storm delivered 40-60 cm of heavy snow in the south of the region, with freezing levels reaching 1200 m. Expect to find storm slabs at higher elevations, particularly on wind-loaded northeast slopes. At lower elevations, moist snow is freezing into a hard crust. At this point there is some uncertainty as to how deeper persistent weak layers are responding to the recent loading and warming. Several weak surface hoar and facet interfaces were reactive during the storm, but have shown signs gaining strength since. This includes the January 5th layer about 50 cm deep and the December 25th layer up to a metre deep. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it will take more time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week's storm delivered 20-30 cm in the Smithers area and up to 40 cm or more in deeper areas to the north and west. Freezing levels reached up to around 1600 m, which has left a hard rain crust at lower elevations. Storm slabs may linger at higher elevations, particularly in wind loaded areas or where buried surface hoar from earlier this month is preserved. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack, with treeline depths around 120-150 cm. The lower snowpack generally consists of old hard wind slabs above weak faceted snow.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 10 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Strong southwest winds during the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 100-120 cm deep. This layer is now dormant in many areas in the south of the region, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region, especially the far north of the region in places like Clemina Creek. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 7 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Strong southwest winds during the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer typically lies around 1.5 m below the surface. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugar Bowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">By Friday morning another 2-10 cm added to the previous 25-45 cm of fresh snow this week, accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds. This has resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now likely down 50-90 cm and has become reactive with continued loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The below tree line snow pack is still terrible. 50-60cm of facets makes trail breaking frustratingly difficult and tediously slow. Ground hazards are barely buried.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Moving up to treeline, there are three distinct layers/interfaces to watch for. The top 40-60cm is a series of laminated windslabs of varying densities. In some windloaded areas, there may be failures within these slabs. This layer will likely react as one solid layer if initiated. Below that lies the Dec 18th facet layer. In today's trip to Tent Ridge, this interface/layer was very prominent. Tests had a consistent failure down 60cm within this facet layer. Below this lies the third main layer which is made up of the various crusts from earlier this winter. In general it seems to be relatively solid. In the alpine it is similar, except for the additional windslabs on the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At treeline elevations (1200m) and above, 20-35cm of heavy snow from Thursday-Friday sits on the rain-soaked snow from last week's warmup. This new snow is bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface. At alpine elevations fresh wind slabs could be touchy, especially if we do get as much snow as some forecasts suggest (up to 25cm by Sunday afternoon). The cooling trend early next week is expected to stabilize the snowpack - locking up the moist snow at treeline and below. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, widespread faceted old snow, and/or a sun crust on steep solar aspects. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains a concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. The lower snowpack is well bonded and features a thick rain crust near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 50-100 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface.</span><span class="s_3FE45715" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A dusting of new snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces, while a recent melt-freeze cycle has left a hard crust at lower elevations (up to 1400 m in the west and 1900 m in the east). The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets with the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rapid snow and wind loading occurred last week. The storm snow (70-140cm) fell in fluctuating freezing levels, creating storm snow weaknesses which have mostly settled out by now. The rain (or snow high in the alpine) started to saturate and load a wide variety of previous surface conditions. Simply put, the upper snowpack is extremely variable and given the amount of recent snow, it remains a question as to how well it has bonded to the old, cold surface in the alpine. Of most recent concern is touchy pockets of wind slab that developed Friday on northwesterly features above 2000m.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell with some wind slabs forming on northerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to 45 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning brought the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling - I'd remain suspicious of the bond of the storm snow in the alpine to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week's storm delivered 40-60 cm of heavy snow to the south of the region. Since then light flurries and moderate winds have formed fresh wind slabs at higher elevations. Freezing levels reached 1200 m during the storm, which has resulted in a hard supportive crust at lower elevations. At this point there is some uncertainty as to how deeper persistent weak layers are responding to the recent loading and warming. Several weak surface hoar and facet interfaces were reactive during the storm, but have shown signs gaining strength since. This includes the January 5th layer about 50 cm deep and the December 25th layer up to a metre deep. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it will take more time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week's storm delivered 20-30 cm in the Smithers area and up to 40 cm or more in deeper areas to the north and west. Freezing levels reached up to around 1600 m, which has left a hard rain crust at lower elevations. Wind slabs may linger at higher elevations, and have potential for wide propagations where they sit above preserved surface hoar from earlier this month. Most areas continue to have a shallow and weak snowpack. Snowpack depths are around 120-150 cm at treeline, with hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab will remain a low probability high consequence scenario.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 10 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 100-120 cm deep. This layer is now dormant in many areas in the south of the region, but may still be a concern in shallow snowpack parts of the region and in the far north of the region in places like Clemina Creek. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. The lower snowpack seems to be generally strong and well settled.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 7 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. Strong southwest winds during the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer typically lies around 1.5 m below the surface. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugar Bowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface.  This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers several days after the storm ended.  Several large human triggered avalanches including events with multiple burials have occurred on this layer over the weekend.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A complex and tricky snowpack exists in the Kootenay Boundary region. By Sunday morning another 3-12 cm added to the previous 35-55 cm of fresh snow from last week (which was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds). This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects. The Jan 17th surface hoar layer continues to give easy sudden results in snowpack tests (down anywhere from 30 to 60cms depending on location). In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now likely down 60-100 cm and has become reactive with continued loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Mostly a weak snowpack.  The upper third of the snowpack is comprised of laminated windslabs overlying a weak midpack and basal facets..  BTL, the facets are even more prominent through most of the snowpack making travel even more challenging.&nbsp; </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At treeline elevations (1200m) and above, 20-35cm of heavy snow from Thursday-Friday sits on the rain-soaked snow from last week's warmup. This latest snow is settling and bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface. At alpine elevations fresh wind slabs could be touchy, especially if we do get as much snow as some forecasts suggest (up to 25cm by Sunday afternoon). The cooling trend early next week is expected to stabilize the snowpack - locking up the moist snow at treeline and below. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of old wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, widespread faceted old snow, and/or a sun crust on steep solar aspects. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features.&nbsp; Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains a concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 50-100 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. With the next storm or period of warming, this layer could wake up and create a more widespread problem.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces, while a recent melt-freeze cycle has left a hard crust at lower elevations (up to 1400 m in the west and 1900 m in the east). The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A highly variable 70-140 cm of storm snow now forms our upper snowpack, the product of a storm that rapidly blanketed the region late last week. Wind slabs developed on a range of aspects at exposed higher elevations in the days since the storm. These wind slabs currently form our primary avalanche hazard. Aside from wind slabs, the storm snow has been described as 'right side up' (lower density at the top) and is settling quickly with the aid of continued mild temperatures. Its bond to the varied surfaces below it has been improving, with this interface producing moderate to hard and generally resistant snowpack test results. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell with some wind slabs forming on northerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to 45 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning brought the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling - I'd remain suspicious of the bond of the storm snow in the alpine to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries and moderate winds have formed fresh wind slabs above 40-60 cm of settled storm snow from last week. Freezing levels reached 1200 m during the storm, which has left a hard supportive crust at lower elevations. At this point there is some uncertainty as to how deeper persistent weak layers are responding to the recent loading and warming. Several weak surface hoar and facet interfaces were reactive during the storm, but have shown signs gaining strength since. This includes the January 5th layer about 50 cm deep and the December 25th layer up to a metre deep. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it will take more time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-20 cm of settled storm snow sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. Recent winds have likely formed wind slabs on lee and cross loaded features. Several buried surface hoar layers have been reported 40-80 cm deep and have given variable results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 10 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 100-120 cm deep. This layer is now dormant in the south of the region but is still a real concern in the far north of the region in the mountains around Blue River and Valemount.&nbsp; It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 7 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December surface hoar/facet layer lies anywhere from 50 cm down in shallow snowpack areas to 1.5 m down in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers several days after the storm ended. Several large human triggered avalanches including events with multiple burials have occurred on this layer over the weekend. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A complex and tricky snowpack exists in the Kootenay Boundary region. By Sunday morning another 3-12 cm added to the previous 35-55 cm of fresh snow from last week (which was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds). This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects. The Jan 17th surface hoar layer continues to give easy sudden results in snowpack tests (down anywhere from 30 to 60cms depending on location). In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now likely down 60-100 cm and has become reactive with continued loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. This deep persistent weakness may also become reactive with continued loading and warming.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Mostly a weak snowpack. The upper third of the snowpack is comprised of laminated windslabs overlying a weak midpack and basal facets.. BTL, the facets are even more prominent through most of the snowpack making travel even more challenging. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-15 cm of new snow fell over Sunday night. A density change interface down about 7cm within the new snow has proven touchy, producing Size 1 ski cut results on Monday morning. Including our new snow, storm snow since Thursday now amounts to 30-40 cm at treeline elevations and above. This storm snow sits above the rain-soaked snow from last week's warmup. It is settling and bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface. At alpine elevations fresh wind slabs could be touchy, especially if we do get as much snow as some forecasts suggest (up to 25cm by Sunday afternoon). The cooling trend early next week is expected to stabilize the snowpack - locking up the moist snow at treeline and below. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of old wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, widespread faceted old snow, and/or a sun crust on steep solar aspects. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains a concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 50-100 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. With the next storm or period of warming, this layer could wake up and create a more widespread problem.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces, while a recent melt-freeze cycle has left a hard crust at lower elevations (up to 1400 m in the west and 1900 m in the east). The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A highly variable 70-140 cm of storm snow now forms our upper snowpack, the product of a storm that rapidly blanketed the region late last week. Wind slabs developed on a range of aspects at exposed higher elevations in the days after the storm and these wind slabs currently form our primary avalanche hazard. Aside from wind slabs, the storm snow has been described as 'right side up' (lower density at the top) and is settling quickly with the aid of continued mild temperatures. While this inspires some confidence, a number of easy sudden planar results on density changes in the storm snow were observed on a northwest aspect in the Spearhead range on Monday, suggesting that investigation of the storm snow is still called for in bigger terrain. The bond of our storm snow to the varied surfaces below it has been improving, with this interface producing moderate to hard and generally resistant snowpack test results. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to the previous rain-soaked snow surface up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell with some wind slabs forming on northerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to 45 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning brought the storm snow totals to over a metre, which was all redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling, but the bond of the storm snow to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago is less reliable. Thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotin mountains remain the most likely to harbour this and other persistent weaknesses.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries and moderate winds have formed fresh wind slabs above 40-60 cm of settled storm snow from last week. Freezing levels reached 1200 m during the storm, which has left a hard supportive crust at lower elevations. At this point there is some uncertainty as to how deeper persistent weak layers are responding to the recent loading and warming. Several weak surface hoar and facet interfaces were reactive during the storm, but have shown signs gaining strength since. This includes the January 5th layer about 50 cm deep and the December 25th layer up to a metre deep. These are not typical conditions for this coastal region, and it will take more time to gain confidence about the distribution and likelihood of triggering these deeply buried weak layers. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-20 cm of settled storm snow sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. Recent winds have likely formed wind slabs on lee and cross loaded features. Several buried surface hoar layers have been reported 40-80 cm deep and have given variable results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 10 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 100-120 cm deep. This layer is now dormant in the south of the region but is still a real concern in the far north of the region in the mountains around Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 7 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December surface hoar/facet layer lies anywhere from 50 cm down in shallow snowpack areas to 1.5 m down in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. Several large human-triggered avalanches including events with multiple burials have occurred on this layer. I would expect continued reactivity at this interface for the foreseeable future.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A complex and tricky snowpack exists in the Kootenay Boundary region. By Sunday morning another 3-12 cm added to the previous 35-55 cm of fresh snow from last week (which was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds). This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects. The Jan 17th surface hoar layer continues to give easy sudden results in snowpack tests (down anywhere from 30 to 60cms depending on location). In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now likely down 60-100 cm and has become reactive with continued loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-15 cm of new snow fell over the region over Sunday evening. Density change interfaces within and beneath this new snow proved touchy over Monday, producing Size 1 avalanches with ski cuts and skier traffic. While these new snow instabilities are likely to heal quickly, they will remain our primary avalanche hazard over the short term. The problem will be less pronounced on solar aspects and lower elevations where warm temperatures created moist surface snow which has since refrozen. Including our new snow, storm snow since Thursday now amounts to 30-40 cm at treeline elevations and above. This storm snow sits above the rain-soaked snow from last week's warmup and it is settling and bonding well to this surface. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of old wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, widespread faceted old snow, and/or a sun crust on steep solar aspects. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 70-120 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered. This layer remains a concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm and moderate southwest winds following the storm have redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 50-100 cm deep and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. With the next storm or period of warming, this layer could wake up and create a more widespread problem.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces. Below 1500 metres there may be an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. In the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. Some solar exposed terrain in the alpine may have a thin sun-crust about 3 cm thick, and this may have a few cm of light dry snow above . The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A highly variable 70-140 cm of storm snow now forms our upper snowpack, the product of a storm that rapidly blanketed the region late last week. Wind slabs developed on a range of aspects at exposed higher elevations in the days after the storm and these wind slabs remain our primary avalanche hazard. Aside from wind slabs, the storm snow has been described as 'right side up' (lower density at the top) and is settling quickly with the aid of continued mild temperatures. While this inspires some confidence, a number of easy sudden planar results on density changes in the storm snow were observed in the Spearhead range as recently as Monday, suggesting that investigation of the storm snow is still called for in bigger terrain. The bond of our storm snow to the varied surfaces below it has been improving, with this interface producing moderate to hard and generally resistant snowpack test results. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to an underlying thick, supportive crust up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell with some wind slabs forming on northerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to and in some areas over metre of storm snow lies on the surface, the product of a series of storms late last week. In the days during and after the storms, this snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds from a wide range of directions. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs forming and bonding poorly to the previous snow surface. This surface includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling, but the bond of the storm snow to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago is less reliable. Thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotin mountains remain the most likely to harbour this and other persistent weaknesses.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">There is 5-10 cm of new snow above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd that has been found up to size 10 mm at treeline and below. This surface hoar layer may be associated with a crust below 1100 metres. There continues to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports show these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however we are still getting some reports of sudden planar releases in snowpack tests with hard forces applied. I suspect the forecast heavy precipitation over the next few days will be a good test for these older buried weak layers. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-20 cm of settled storm snow sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. Recent winds have likely formed wind slabs on lee and cross loaded features. Several buried surface hoar layers have been reported 25-50 cm deep and have given moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time. Snow profile information from Tuesday at Hankin reports 110cm at treeline with a buried surface hoar layer down 25cm and weak facetted snow down 75 cm as well as depth hoar above the ground. You can see the full report on the MIN.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface with the largest snowfall amounts in the north of the region. The buried interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 10 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface has generally gained a lot of strength with the colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses may still be lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm had redistributed the new snow and developed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December facet/surface hoar persistent weak layer can be found buried 100-120 cm deep. This layer is now dormant in the south of the region but is still a real concern in the far north of the region in the mountains around Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of recent storm snow typically overlies the variable mid-January interface which consists wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, surface hoar up to 7 mm in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The bond between the new snow and the old surface is generally gaining strength with colder temperatures that followed the storm but weaknesses are lingering, especially where surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-December surface hoar/facet layer lies anywhere from 50 cm down in shallow snowpack areas to 1.5 m down in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. Several large human-triggered avalanches including events with multiple burials have occurred on this layer. I would expect continued reactivity at this interface for the foreseeable future.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A complex and tricky snowpack exists in the Kootenay Boundary region. At the surface, a trace to 5 cm of new snow fell over the region on Tuesday night, giving a thin cover to surface hoar that has been observed growing up to 6 mm. Combined with Sunday's 3-12 cm and 35-55 cm from last week's storms, the storm snow forming our upper snowpack now totals a rather variable 40-70 cm. The initial snowfall last week was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, resulting in touchy storm and wind slabs forming and bonding poorly to the previous (January 17) snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects. This varied layer continues to give easy to moderate and occasionally sudden results in snowpack tests (down anywhere from 30 to 60cms depending on location). In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now found down 60-100 cm and has proven reactive with recent loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below treeline travel is fairly grim.  Expect ski penetrations to ground in many areas and the best solution to getting up to the skiing is via an old established up-track.  At treeline and above the upper snowpack has 30-40cm of settled snow that is overlying the weak basal facets.  Moderate compression tests that are sudden collapse in nature are being observed at this interface.  Thin weak spots are the most likely areas where a skier could cause a failure.  As a result choose supported terrain, and avoid thin areas.  The only skiing to be found is at treeline and above.  If you are looking for turns below treeline, look elsewhere!</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At lower elevations and on solar aspects, recent warm temperatures and solar radiation have created temperature and sun crusts on the snow surface. Including 10-15 cm of new snow received over Sunday evening, the storm snow that now forms our upper snowpack totals approximately 30-40 cm at treeline elevations and above. Aside from thin pockets of wind slab lingering in lee terrain at our highest elevations, instabilities within the storm snow have largely settled out and this snows bond to the underlying surface is strong. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 70-120 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, which is most likely in shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Southwest winds have deposited wind slabs on the downwind side of ridge crests and similar terrain features. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. With the next storm or period of warming, this layer could wake up and create a more widespread problem.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. In the First Peak area on Wednesday, the height of snow was 140 cm at an elevation of 1950 metres. The top 50 cm of the snowpack was pencil resistance hard above a softer layer of December facets, and the November crust in this location was 15 cm thick and breaking down into weak facetted crystals.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces. Below 1500 metres there may be an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. In the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain on Tuesday the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. Some solar exposed terrain in the alpine may have a thin sun-crust about 3 cm thick, and this may have a few cm of light dry snow above . The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the snow surface, surface hoar has been observed growing up to 10 mm in the Whistler area. Below this, a highly variable 70-140 cm of storm snow now forms our upper snowpack, the product of a storm that rapidly blanketed the region late last week. Wind slabs developed on a range of aspects at exposed higher elevations in the days after the storm and although they have gained strength, they remain our primary avalanche hazard. Aside from wind slabs, the storm snow has been described as 'right side up' (lower density at the top) and is settling quickly with the aid of continued mild temperatures. While this inspires some confidence, occasional sudden planar results within this layer continue to suggest that investigation of the storm snow is still called for in bigger terrain. The bond of our storm snow to the varied surfaces below it has been improving, with this interface producing moderate to hard and generally resistant snowpack test results. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to an underlying thick, supportive crust up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40cm of storm snow fell with some wind slabs forming on northerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to and in some areas over metre of storm snow lies on the surface, the product of a series of storms late last week. In the days during and after the storms, this snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds from a wide range of directions. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs forming and bonding poorly to the previous (January 16) snow surface. This surface includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling, but the bond of the storm snow to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago is less reliable. Thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotin mountains remain the most likely to harbour this and other persistent weaknesses.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">There is 10-20 cm of new snow above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd that has been found up to size 10 mm at treeline and below. This surface hoar layer may be associated with a crust below 1100 metres. There continues to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports show these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however we are still getting some reports of sudden planar releases in snowpack tests with hard forces applied. I suspect the forecast heavy precipitation over the next few days will be a good test for these older buried weak layers. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-20 cm of settled storm snow sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. Recent winds have likely formed wind slabs on lee and cross loaded features. Several buried surface hoar layers have been reported 25-50 cm deep and have given moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time. Snow profile information from Tuesday at Hankin reports 110cm at treeline with a buried surface hoar layer down 25cm and weak facetted snow down 75 cm as well as depth hoar above the ground. You can see the full report on the MIN.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weakness is currently dormant in the south of the region, but sensitive to human-triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">50-70 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 50 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers and smaller avalanches stepping down. This persistent weakness has recently been responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches including some with multiple burials, and this sensitivity is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A complex and tricky snowpack exists in the Kootenay Boundary region. At the surface, a trace to 15 cm of new snow has fallen over the region over Tuesday and Wednesday, covering surface hoar that was previously observed growing up to 6 mm. Combined with Sunday's 3-12 cm and 35-55 cm from last week's storms, the storm snow forming our upper snowpack now totals a rather variable 40-80 cm. The initial snowfall last week was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, resulting in touchy storm and wind slabs forming and bonding poorly to the previous (January 17) snow surface that includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects. This varied layer continues to give easy to moderate and occasionally sudden results in snowpack tests (down anywhere from 30 to 60cms depending on location). In some areas of the Rossland range, the mid-November rain crust / facet layer is now found down 60-100 cm and has proven reactive with recent loading and warming. In thin rocky areas, particularly in the Rossland range, recent reports include easy sudden collapse snowpack test results on facets down 120-150 cm near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At lower elevations and on solar aspects, recent warm temperatures and solar radiation have created temperature and sun crusts on the snow surface. Including 10-15 cm of new snow received over Sunday evening, the storm snow that now forms our upper snowpack totals approximately 30-40 cm at treeline elevations and above. Aside from thin pockets of wind slab lingering in lee terrain at our highest elevations, instabilities within the storm snow have largely settled out and this snow's bond to the underlying surface is strong. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, crust on south aspects and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 70-120 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered, which is most likely in shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-50 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Southwest winds have deposited wind slabs on the downwind side of ridge crests and similar terrain features. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. With the next storm or period of warming, this weakness could wake up and create a more widespread problem.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Diurnal fuctuation a bit narrower, remaining cool. Trace up to 4cm low density HN at Morrissey</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. In the First Peak area on Wednesday, the height of snow was 140 cm at an elevation of 1950 metres. The top 50 cm of the snowpack was pencil resistance hard above a softer layer of December facets, and the November crust in this location was 15 cm thick and breaking down into weak facetted crystals.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">No new snow with strong W'ly wind and temps remaining cold.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow sits above hard wind-affected surfaces. Below 1500 metres there may be an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. In the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain on Tuesday the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. Some solar exposed terrain in the alpine may have a thin sun-crust about 3 cm thick, and this may have a few cm of light dry snow above . The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Warm windy weather will settle the snow surface and possibly destroy much of the new surface hoar observed throughout the region. Lingering wind slabs exist on a range of aspects at exposed higher elevations. Although the wind slabs have gained strength, they remain our primary avalanche hazard. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms our upper snowpack and has generally bonded well to crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): 10-20 cm of snow from last week appears to be bonding well to an underlying thick, supportive crust up to treeline elevations. At alpine elevations, up to 40 cm of storm snow fell with isolated wind slabs forming on northerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Up to and in some areas over 100 cm of storm snow lies on the surface, the product of a series of storms last week. In the days during and after the storms, this snow was redistributed by moderate to strong southerly winds from a wide range of directions. This resulted in touchy storm and wind slabs forming and bonding poorly to the previous (January 16) snow surface. This surface includes facets and large surface hoar on sheltered slopes and/or a sun crust on steep sun-exposed aspects, as well as wind-affected surfaces (e.g. hard wind slab, sastrugi, scoured crust, etc.) in exposed areas. Weaknesses within the recent storm snow have been settling, but the bond of the storm snow to the previous cold snow surface from over a week ago is less reliable. Thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotin mountains remain the most likely to harbour this and other persistent weaknesses.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Continuing heavy snowfall on Friday is piling on to the 10-30 cm of new snow we received overnight Thursday. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds have accompanied the storm. The heaviest snowfall has been focused in coastal areas and by Friday afternoon we may expect to find 30-60 cm of snow above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd. This surface hoar was previously reported growing up to size 10 mm at treeline and below and may be associated with a crust below 1100 metres. There continues to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports show these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however we are still getting some reports of sudden planar releases in snowpack tests with hard forces applied. Our ongoing heavy precipitation will be a good test for these older buried weak layers. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> After a trace to 10 cm of new snow Thursday night, 5-30 cm of settled storm snow now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At treeline and above, the new snow will overlie wind slabs recently formed on lee and cross loaded features. Ongoing snowfall and strong winds will continue to shift this wind slab problem into more of a general storm slab over the coming days. Below our new snow, several buried surface hoar layers have been reported 25-50 cm deep and continue to yield moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time, with probability increasing as our forecast snowfall adds load to the snowpack. Snow profile information from Tuesday at Hankin reports 110cm at treeline with a buried surface hoar layer down 25 cm and weak facetted snow down 75 cm as well as depth hoar above the ground. You can see the full report on the MIN.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-60 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weakness is currently dormant in the south of the region, but sensitive to human-triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">50-70 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Isolated subsequent moderate outflow winds may have more recently resulted in reverse wind loading. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 50 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the recent storm and has remained reactive to human triggers and smaller avalanches stepping down. This persistent weakness has recently been responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches including some with multiple burials, and this sensitivity is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">For more information, check out this video of our field team testing the snowpack near Barkerville: </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/201318688" target="_blank"><span class="s_B5813F7D">https://vimeo.com/201318688</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A variety of surface conditions exist including pockets of light snow, sun crusts, shallowly buried surface hoar, and wind affected snow. A total of 30-50 cm of settled storm snow now sits above a weak interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar ,and/or sun crusts. The strength of this interface has generally improved, but has still given some easy to moderate sudden results in recent snowpack tests. Areas with thin snowpacks (less than 150 cm) have a weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Wind affect in alpine areas, most noteable in the southern part of the forecast region. Snowpack is weak and facetted in most areas. Upper snowpack in alpine areas is able to bridge the facets but sticking to mellow terrain and not bigger features as weak areas are widespread. A few cornices have collapsed over the past week with these larger triggers waking up the deep persistent problems on underlying slopes up to sz 2.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Warm temperatures and solar radiation have created temperature and sun crusts on the snow surface at lower elevations and on south-facing slopes. 30-40 cm of recent snow storm has settled, with pockets of wind slabs lingering in lee terrain at our highest elevations. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Twenty to 50 cm of previous snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, crust on south aspects and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during that storm created wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness from mid-December may be found down 70-120 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered; watch shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Fresh new wind slabs are likely to develop below ridge-tops on Sunday when the next front passes through.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Twenty to 50 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Southwest winds have deposited wind slabs on the downwind side of ridge crests and similar terrain features. A deeper surface hoar/facet weakness from mid-December is down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches have recently stepped down to this layer in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. This weakness could potentially wake up again in the future although it doesn't appear Monday's will have enough punch for that to happen.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from last week. Last week's storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. In the First Peak area on Wednesday, the height of snow was 140 cm at an elevation of 1950 metres. The top 50 cm of the snowpack was pencil resistance hard above a softer layer of December facets, and the November crust in this location was 15 cm thick and breaking down into weak faceted crystals.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow has been undergoing wind redistribution over the past couple of days, joining previous hard, wind-affected surfaces and forming thin layers of wind slab in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. In the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain on Tuesday the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. Some solar exposed terrain in the alpine may have a thin sun-crust about 3 cm thick, and this may have a few cm of light dry snow above . The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect strong southwest winds and moderate amounts of new snow to form touchy wind slabs on Sunday. The new snow is burying a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating a weak interface for wind slabs to propagate along. Old lingering wind slabs may also exist in the immediate lee of ridges. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms our upper snowpack and has generally bonded well to the crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): Light flurries will bury a variety of crusts and settled storm snow with isolated wind slabs lingering on northerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): Moderate flurries will bury a hard surface composed of settled storm snow, crusts, and surface hoar. Strong southwest winds will form fresh wind slabs. The upper snowpack has 50-80 cm of settled storm snow sitting above the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface. This interface produced large avalanches during the last storm cycle, and may still be poorly bonded in thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotins.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> A storm impacting the region over Friday and Saturday has delivered approximately 40-90 cm of new snow to the mountains, with the greatest depths accumulating in coastal areas. Strong to extreme southwesterly winds have accompanied the storm and lower elevations are seeing precipitation fall as rain. Snow will continue to fall over Saturday night and by Sunday morning me might expect anywhere from 70-130 cm to have accumulated above above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd. This surface hoar was previously reported growing up to size 10 mm at treeline and below and may be associated with a crust below 1100 metres. Although storm slab problems have captured our attention, there continue to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports show these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however recent reports show sudden planar releases in snowpack tests with hard forces applied. Our ongoing heavy precipitation will be a good test for these older buried weak layers. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Stormy weather over Friday and Saturday has delivered anywhere from 10-25 cm of new snow to the region. Including snow from earlier in the week, 15-50 cm of storm snow now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At treeline and above, the storm snow overlies wind slabs recently formed on lee and cross loaded features. Ongoing snowfall has effectively shifted this wind slab problem into a more generalized storm slab issue. Below our the storm snow forming the upper snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be expected roughly 35-75 cm deep. These layers have recently yielded moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the upper snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time, with probability increasing as new snow and strong winds add load to the snowpack. Snow profile information from Tuesday at Hankin reported 110cm at treeline with a buried surface hoar layer down 25 cm and weak facetted snow down 75 cm as well as depth hoar above the ground. You can see the full report on the MIN.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Thirty to 60 cm of recent snow is settling over the previous mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December, can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weakness is currently dormant in the south of the region, but sensitive to human-triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B">.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Fifty to 70 cm of recent snow covers the mid-January snow surface which includes buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread facets. This slab is particularly touchy where where the buried surface hoar is preserved. Strong southwest winds during the storm have formed wind slabs in leeward terrain features. A second surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December, is now found down 50 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This December weakness is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and this sensitivity is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">For more information, check out this video of our field team testing the snowpack near Barkerville: https://vimeo.com/201318688</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A variety of surface conditions exist including wind affected snow, sun crusts, and shallowly buried surface hoar. A total of 20-40 cm of settled storm snow now sits above a weak interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts. The strength of this interface is variable, but has continued to give some concerning sudden results and propagations in snowpack tests. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A midday storm will deliver 20-30 cm of new snow by Sunday afternoon. Expect thicker and touchier storm slabs to develop on north and east facing wind loaded features. The new snow may bond poorly to sun crusts on steep south facing slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-50 cm of old snow has settled over the mid-January interface which consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. Ongoing moderate to strong winds in exposed terrain have been forming new wind slabs over the weekend. The new snow and strong winds on Sunday night are expected to add additional load to these touchy wind slabs. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness may be found down 70-120 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, we are still receiving occasional reports of sudden results in snowpack tests, suggesting that it has to potential to propagate into a large avalanche if triggered; watch shallow snowpack areas where the layer is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-50 cm of old snow is settling over the mid-January interfaces which consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. Ongoing moderate to strong winds in exposed terrain have been forming new wind slabs over the weekend. The new snow and strong winds on Sunday night are expected to add additional load to these touchy wind slabs. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A deeper surface hoar/facet weakness from mid-December is down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches stepped down to this layer last week in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Where it hasn't been blown away by recent strong winds, a dusting of light snow covers settled storm snow from two weeks ago. That storm delivered 20-40 cm of heavy snow with freezing levels up to 1600 m. Along with wind affected surfaces in exposed areas, crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600 m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of surface hoar layers that formed in early January that may still exist about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. In the First Peak area on Wednesday, the height of snow was 140 cm at an elevation of 1950 metres. The top 50 cm of the snowpack was pencil resistance hard above a softer layer of December facets, and the November crust in this location was 15 cm thick and breaking down into weak faceted crystals.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of low density snow has been undergoing heavy wind redistribution over the past few days, joining previous hard, wind-affected surfaces and forming thin layers of wind slab in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. In the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain on Tuesday the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. Some solar exposed terrain in the alpine may have a thin sun-crust about 3 cm thick, and this may have a few cm of light dry snow above . The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. In these areas, winds have formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries with strong southerly winds have formed fresh wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. About 5 cm new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. Old lingering wind slabs may also exist in the immediate lee of ridges. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms our upper snowpack and has generally bonded well to the crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">SOUTHERN AREAS (e.g. Coquihalla): Light flurries have buried a variety of crusts and settled storm snow. Small fresh wind slabs linger on northerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">NORTHERN AREAS (e.g. Duffey Lake): </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries with strong southwest winds have formed fresh wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The upper snowpack has 50-80 cm of settled storm snow sitting above the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface. This interface produced large avalanches during the last storm cycle, and may still be poorly bonded in thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotins.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A storm that impacted the region over Friday to Sunday morning has delivered approximately 60-110 cm of new snow to the mountains, with the greatest depths accumulating in coastal areas. Strong to extreme southwesterly winds accompanied the storm while lower elevations saw precipitation falling as rain. As of now we can expect anywhere from 70-130 cm to have accumulated above above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd. This surface hoar was previously reported growing up to size 10 mm at treeline and below and may be associated with a crust below 1100 metres. Although storm slab activity has captured our attention, there continue to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports have shown these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however recent reports have shown sudden planar releases in snowpack tests with hard forces applied. The heavy precipitation has been a good test for these older buried weak layers and observations over the next couple of days should reveal to what extent they have been involved in avalanche activity.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Stormy weather over Friday to Sunday morning has delivered anywhere from 30-60 cm of new snow to the region. Including snow from earlier in the week, 40-80 cm of storm snow now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At treeline and above, the storm snow is settling above wind slabs that formed on lee and cross loaded features in days before the storm. Our new snow has effectively shifted this wind slab problem into a more generalized storm slab issue. Below our the storm snow forming the upper snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be expected roughly 50-100 cm deep. Before the storm, these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. Many areas have hard slabs in the mid snowpack above weak sugary snow near the ground. Triggering a deep persistent slab above this sugary snow will remain a low probability high consequence scenario for some time, with probability increasing as sustained strong winds redistribute loose snow and add load to specific areas of the snowpack.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">30-60 cm of old snow has settled over the mid-January interface which consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">Ongoing moderate to strong winds in exposed terrain have been forming new wind slabs over the weekend. The new snow and strong winds on Sunday night are expected to add additional load to these touchy wind slabs. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weakness is currently dormant in the south of the region, but sensitive to human-triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-70 cm of old snow has settled over the mid-January interface which consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. Ongoing moderate to strong winds in exposed terrain have been forming new wind slabs over the weekend. The new snow and strong winds on Sunday night are expected to add additional load to these touchy wind slabs. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet weakness is now found down 50 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and this sensitivity is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">For more information, check out this video of our field team testing the snowpack near Barkerville: https://vimeo.com/201318688 </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/201318688" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">or click here.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A variety of surface conditions exist including wind affected snow, sun crusts, shallowly buried surface hoar, and pockets of light snow. A total of 30-50 cm of settled storm snow now sits above a weak interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts. The strength of this interface is variable, but has continued to give some sudden results and propagations in snowpack tests. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant long term monitoring, as they could reawaken with a sudden change in the weather.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snowpack is settling with the warm temperatures. Wind slabs are widespread in lee and cross-loaded features in the Alpine and in open areas at Treeline due to recent extreme westerly winds. These slabs sit on a weak and faceted mid-pack and basal layers. The snowpack at lower elevations remains shallow, weak and facetted and only supports the weight of a skier on previously established paths.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Sunday's cold front delivered 5-10 cm of new snow to the region. Strong southwest winds have likely formed wind slabs in the lee of exposed ridges. The new snow may bond poorly to sun crusts on steep south facing slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A new sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. The mid-January interface is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A new sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. The mid-January interface is now down </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet weakness from is down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches stepped down to this layer last week in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A recent dusting of light snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong winds and covers previous wind affected surfaces in exposed areas. Buried crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. The lower snowpack appears to be well settled. There have been isolated reports of a surface hoar layer buried in early January about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas. Last week the height of snow in the First Peak area was reported at 140 cm at an elevation of 1950 metres. The top 50 cm of the snowpack was a stiff pencil hardness above a softer layer of December facets. The November crust in this location was 15 cm thick at the base of the snowpack and breaking down into weak faceted crystals.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of recent low density snow has been redistributed over previous hard, wind-affected surfaces forming additional thin layers of wind slab in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick.  The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region.  In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong winds and 5-15 cm of new snow over the weekend have formed fresh wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. Old lingering wind slabs may also exist in the immediate lee of ridges. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms the upper snowpack and is well generally bonded to a crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Sunday's storm delivered 10 cm of new snow. Strong southwest winds have left wind slabs lingering in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. In southern areas (e.g. Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is well settled. In northern areas (e.g. Duffey Lake), the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm deep. This interface produced large avalanches two weeks ago during the last major storm, and may still be poorly bonded in thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotins.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A storm that impacted the region over Friday to Sunday morning delivered approximately 60-110 cm of new snow to the mountains, with the greatest depths accumulating in coastal areas. Strong to extreme southwesterly winds accompanied the storm while lower elevations saw precipitation falling as rain. It can be expected that 70-130 cm have accumulated above above the latest buried surface hoar layer from January 23rd. This surface hoar was previously reported growing up to size 10mm at tree line and below. It may be sitting on a crust below 1100m. Although storm slab activity has captured our attention, there continue to be several other surface hoar layers of concern from early January and Christmas. Some reports have shown these persistent weak layers to be rounding and bonding, however recent reports have shown hard sudden results in snowpack tests. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A series of snowfalls last week accumulated 40-80 cm of storm snow, which now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 50-100 cm deep. Before the storm, these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load sitting on top has reached a critical level and woken up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region. The consequences of triggering an avalanche on this layer are </span><span class="s_2823317B">high</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. This is a good time to be very cautious and disciplined with terrain choices.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A new sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. The mid-January interface is now down </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">30-60 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weakness is currently dormant in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to human-triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent strong shifting winds have redistributed the new snow and formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. In the north of the region which received more recent snowfall, a more widespread storm slab may have developed.  The mid-January interface is now down </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-70 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet weakness is now found down 50 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may continue to remain reactive for the foreseeable future.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">For more information, check out this video of our field team testing the snowpack near Barkerville: https://vimeo.com/201318688 </span><a href="https://vimeo.com/201318688" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">or click here.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A variety of surface conditions exist including wind affected snow, sun crusts, shallowly buried surface hoar, and pockets of light snow. A total of 30-50 cm of settled snow now sits above a weak interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts. The strength of this interface is variable, but has continued to give some sudden results and propagations in snowpack tests. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant long term monitoring, as they could reawaken with a sudden change in the weather.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wind slabs are widespread in lee and cross-loaded features in the Alpine and in open areas at Treeline due to recent extreme westerly winds. These slabs sit on a weak and faceted mid-pack and basal layers. The snowpack at lower elevations remains shallow, weak and facetted and only supports the weight of a skier on previously established paths.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Sunday's storm delivered 5-10 cm of heavy snow to the region. A solid surface crust has formed at lower elevations. At higher elevations, small wind slabs may be lingering in the lee of exposed ridges. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A few centimetres of recent new snow with strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. The mid-January interface is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-20cm of recent new snow with strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. The mid-January interface is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet weakness from is down 50-100 cm and is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches stepped down to this layer last week in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent light snowfall has been redistributed into thin wind slabs by strong winds. In general, snow surfaces are best described as heavily wind affected with scouring and sastrugi formation noted on many terrain features. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. There have been isolated reports of a surface hoar layer from early January buried about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas, although not much is known about its current reactivity. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of recent low density snow has been redistributed over previous hard, wind-affected surfaces forming additional thin layers of wind slab in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds and up to 15 cm of recent snow over the weekend have formed fresh reactive wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of buried surface hoar. Some recent snowpack tests have shown hard, yet sudden planar results on the mid-January interface (facets) buried approximately 45 cm down. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms the upper snowpack and is generally bonded to a crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that warrant long term monitoring.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Last weekend the region received approximately 10 cm of new snow accompanied by strong southwest winds. This has left lingering wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. In southern areas (e.g. Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is well settled. In northern areas (e.g. Duffey Lake), the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm. This interface produced large avalanches two weeks ago during the last major storm, and may still be poorly bonded in thin snowpack areas such as the South Chilcotins.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend, between 60-110 cm of new snow fell with the greatest amounts accumulating in coastal areas. Strong to extreme southwesterly winds accompanied the storm and much deeper deposits can be found in higher elevation lee terrain. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow you'll likely find a couple of buried surface hoar layers from January 18th and January 23rd. These surface hoar layers continue to produce easy to hard sudden planar shears in snowpack tests, and should be approached with caution, especially in sheltered treeline terrain. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A series of snowfalls last week accumulated 40-80 cm of storm snow, which now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 50-100 cm deep. Before the storm, these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load sitting on top has reached a critical level and has woken-up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region. The consequences of triggering an avalanche on this layer are </span><span class="s_2823317B">high</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. This is a good time to be very cautious and disciplined with terrain choices.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 15 cm of recent new snow with strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. The mid-January interface is now down 30-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs, and/or widespread faceted old snow. The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down 100-120 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be reactive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-60 cm of new snow accumulated on Sunday and Monday with the largest amounts in the north of the region.  Strong shifting winds have formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. The mid-January interface is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, old wind slabs in exposed terrain, and/or widespread faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The interface has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet weakness is now found down 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. This layer woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may continue to remain reactive for the foreseeable future.  </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/nearmisses-freegifts" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Click here for a new blog post with more details.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A variety of surface conditions exist including wind effected snow, sun crusts and surface hoar. Up to 50cm of settled snow now sits above an interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts and the strength of this interface is reportedly variable. Recent snowpack tests have shown sudden results on that interface. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring and create a complicating picture especially when it comes to terrain selection and decision making. These layers may sit dormant now with this stable weather pattern but they could reawaken with a change.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind slabs on most aspects in alpine and open areas at tree line.  These wind slabs are sitting on a weak and faceted mid-pack and basal layer.  The snow pack at lower elevations is shallow and faceted throughout, thus not supporting the weight of a skier unless on previously established ski paths.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 10 cm of heavy snow fell in the region last weekend. Current cold temperatures have formed  a solid surface crust at lower elevations. At higher elevations, small wind slabs may be lingering in the lee of exposed ridges. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light amounts of recent snow with strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-20cm of recent snow with strong shifting winds resulted in wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep sun-exposed slopes. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness buried mid-December may be found down 50-100 cm, but is generally considered dormant. However, a few storm slab and wind slab avalanches stepped down to this layer last week in isolated areas. This layer remains an isolated concern for shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In general, snow surfaces are best described as heavily wind affected with scouring and sastrugi formation noted on many terrain features. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. There have been isolated reports of a surface hoar layer from early January buried about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas, although not much is known about its current reactivity. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Any of the new snow that fell last week has been redistributed over previous hard, wind-affected surfaces forming additional thin layers of wind slab in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 15 cm of snow fell last weekend. That combined with strong winds have formed stiff, yet reactive wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of buried surface hoar, which provides a weak sliding interface below the new snow. Some recent snowpack tests have shown hard, yet sudden planar results on the mid-January interface (facets) buried approximately 60-100 cm down. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms the upper snowpack and is generally bonded to a crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but require monitoring with significant change</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Last weekend the region received approximately 10 cm of new snow accompanied by strong southwest winds. Lingering reactive wind slabs and wind scoured snow exist on exposed terrain at treeline and in the alpine. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. In northern areas (Duffey), the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm down. This interface produced large avalanches a week during the storm, and may still be poorly bonded in thin snowpack areas such as the Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled compared to the North.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend, between 60-110 cm of new snow fell with the greatest amounts accumulating in coastal areas. Strong to extreme southwesterly winds accompanied the storm and much deeper deposits can be found in higher elevation lee terrain. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow you'll likely find a couple of buried surface hoar layers from January 18th and January 23rd. These surface hoar layers continue to produce easy to hard sudden planar shears in snowpack tests, and should be approached with caution, especially in sheltered tree line terrain. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A series of snowfalls last week accumulated 40-80 cm of storm snow, which now sits above a widespread rain crust up to about 1300 m. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 50-100 cm deep. Before the storm, these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load sitting on top has reached a critical level and has woken-up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region. The consequences of triggering an avalanche on this layer are </span><span class="s_2823317B">high</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. This is a good time to be very cautious and disciplined with terrain choices.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 15 cm of recent snow with strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 30-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 100-120 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-60 cm of recent snow (with the largest amounts in northern parts of the region) and strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain sensitive to triggers in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. It woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may continue to remain reactive for the foreseeable future. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/nearmisses-freegifts" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Click here for a new blog post with more details.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">In exposed areas at treeline and in the alpine, the surface snow consists of stiff wind slab or wind effected snow. Adding to the mix you may see sun crust on steep southerly slopes and surface hoar. Below the surface, 50-65 cm of settled snow now sits above an interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts and the strength is reportedly variable. Recent snowpack tests have shown sudden results on that interface. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring and create a complicating picture. It may be a low probability that you would trigger an avalanche that failed on these basal facets, however; the consequences could be detrimental. This makes for tricky especially decision making. These layers may be unreactive or even sit dormant now with this stable weather pattern but they could reawaken with a change.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 10 cm of heavy snow fell in the region last weekend. Current cold temperatures have formed a solid surface crust up to 1400m. At higher elevations, small wind slabs may be lingering in the lee of exposed ridges. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth up to 300 cm at treeline.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light amounts of recent snow with strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects and surface hoar is growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-20cm of recent snow with strong shifting winds (including down-slope &quot;katabatic&quot; winds) have resulted in touchy wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep sun-exposed slopes and small surface hoar has been growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness buried mid-December may be found down 50-100 cm, but is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain an isolated concern in shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In general, snow surfaces are best described as heavily wind affected with scouring and sastrugi formation noted on many terrain features tree line and above. Crusts can be found near the surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. There have been isolated reports of a surface hoar layer from early January buried about 40 cm deep in sheltered areas, although not much is known about its current reactivity. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The story in the upper snowpack right now is all about wind-affected surfaces at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds have formed stiff, yet reactive wind slabs in the lee of exposed terrain. Up to 15 cm of snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of buried surface hoar. Some recent snowpack tests have shown hard, yet sudden planar results on the mid-January interface (facets) buried approximately 60-100 cm down. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms the upper snowpack and is generally bonded to a crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but require monitoring with significant change</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Lingering reactive wind slabs and wind scoured snow exist on exposed terrain at treeline and in the alpine. The new snow sits above a thin breakable sun crust and isolated pockets of surface hoar, potentially creating weak interfaces for wind slabs to propagate along. In northern areas (Duffey), the mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm down and remains a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled compared to the North.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week has been long redistributed by continuous strong winds to create widespread wind effect at upper elevations. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow you'll likely find a couple of buried surface hoar layers from January 18th and January 23rd. These surface hoar layers continue to produce easy to hard sudden planar shears in snowpack tests, and should be approached with caution, especially in sheltered tree line terrain. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend's snowfall sits above a rain crust up to about 1300 m in many parts of the region. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 50-100 cm deep. Before the storm, these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load from last week reached a critical level and woke up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region. Currently the probability of triggering an avalanche on those deeper layers has lowered but the consequence remains </span><span class="s_2823317B">high</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. It is still a good time to be cautious and disciplined with terrain choices at upper elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 15 cm of recent snow with strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. A sun crust is being reported on steep solar aspects and surface hoar is growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting is also being reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 30-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 100-120 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. It is highly recommended to investigate this layer before committing to any large, unsupported features. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-60 cm of recent snow (with the largest amounts in northern parts of the region) and strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. Surface snow is faceting and surface hoar is growing on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain sensitive to triggers in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. It woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may continue to remain reactive for the foreseeable future. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/nearmisses-freegifts" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Click here for a new blog post with more details.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">In exposed areas at treeline and in the alpine, the surface snow consists of stiff wind slab or wind effected snow. Adding to the mix you may see sun crust on steep southerly slopes and surface hoar in sheltered areas. Below the surface, 50-65 cm of settled snow now sits above an interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts and the strength is reportedly variable. Recent snowpack tests have shown sudden results on that interface. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring and create a complicating picture. It may be a low probability that you would trigger an avalanche that failed on these basal facets, however; the consequences could be detrimental. This makes for tricky especially decision making. These layers may be unreactive or even sit dormant now with this stable weather pattern but they could reawaken with a change.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affect can be found in the alpine and open treeline areas. This translates to a hard slab resting on top of the very weak mid to lower snowpack. Not a lot of cracking or whumphing was noted today, but hollow sounding slabs are very common. On east aspects there are still pockets of wind sifted snow that offers some good skiing. Below treeline is the same old story. Mostly a weak and un-supportive snowpack. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of new snow is expected to fall over the region today. This new storm snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow surfaces which consist of a firm crust and hard wind press. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth up to 300 cm at treeline.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow over Friday has now buried a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that exist on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain, the new snow will also overlie a sun crust reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting has also been reported as a result of the recent cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow over Friday has now covered a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that exist on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain, the new snow will also overlie a sun crust reported on steep sun-exposed slopes as well as small surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting was also recently reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 20-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness buried mid-December may be found down 50-100 cm, but is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain an isolated concern in shallow snowpack areas where the weakness is closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 10-20cm of new snow is laying on previous surfaces that may include heavily wind affected snow, surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or facets. Crusts can be found near the previous surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. There have been isolated reports of a surface hoar layer from early January buried about 40-50cm deep in sheltered areas, although not much is known about its current reactivity. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Taking regional variations into consideration, 5-10cm of new snow may overlay wind-affected surfaces at higher elevations. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 60-100 cm down and recent snowpack tests have shown hard, yet sudden planar results. A total of 60-120 cm of settled storm snow now forms the upper snowpack and is generally bonded to a crust below. The exception may be thin rocky areas that host deeper weaknesses. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled, but still feature a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but require monitoring with significant change.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled compared to the North. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week has been long redistributed by continuous strong winds to create widespread wind effect at upper elevations. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow you'll likely find a couple of buried surface hoar layers from January 18th and January 23rd. These surface hoar layers continue to produce easy to hard sudden shears in snowpack tests, and should be approached with caution, especially in sheltered tree line terrain. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend's snowfall sits above a rain crust up to about 1300 m in many parts of the region. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 50-100 cm deep. Reports from last week indicate these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load from last week reached a critical level and woke up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region. Currently the probability of triggering an avalanche on those deeper layers has lowered but the consequence remains </span><span class="s_2823317B">high</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. It is still a good time to be cautious and disciplined with terrain choices at upper elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow from Friday has now buried a range of surfaces that have developed over the past week. Along with wind slabs that recently formed on a wide range of aspects, the new snow will also bury a sun crust that was reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar found on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting was also recently reported as a result of cold temperatures over the week. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 30-50 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 100-120 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-60 cm of recent snow (with the largest amounts in northern parts of the region) and strong shifting winds have resulted in fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain. Meanwhile, cold temperatures have promoted both the faceting of surface snow as well as the growth of surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain sensitive to human triggers in isolated areas, especially where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. It woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may remain reactive for the foreseeable future. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/nearmisses-freegifts" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Click here for a new blog post with more details.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes and surface hoar in sheltered areas. Below the surface, 50-65 cm of settled snow now sits above an interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts and the strength of the bond is reportedly variable. Recent snowpack tests have shown sudden results on that interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring and create a complicating picture. It may be a low probability that you would trigger an avalanche that failed on these basal facets, however; the consequences could be detrimental. These layers may be unreactive but they could reawaken with more snow load.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">As of this afternoon snow has started to fall on the Spray Rd. Amounts are still small, but so far all indications are that we'll have 5cm by tomorrow morning. This snow will hide the widespread hardslabs in the alpine and windslabs at treeline. At the moment, there are multiple slabs within the snowpack to be concerned about. At treeline and alpine elevations, the bond between these slabs is suspect and not especially strong. The other layer we are watching closely is the deeper Nov 12 depth hoar/facet layer. This is down 80cm at treeline and worth investigating. This layer is widespread and won't adjust to a new snow load for some time.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 15 cm of new snow has buried old snow surfaces which consist of a firm crust and hard wind press. The new storm snow will likely have a poor bond tho these surfaces. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth up to 300 cm at treeline.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 20 cm of new snow over Friday and Saturday has now buried a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that exist on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain, the new snow also overlies a sun crust reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting has also been reported as a result of the recent cold temperatures. The bond of the new snow to these underlying surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions can be expected as the new snow settles into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 30-60 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow over Friday and Saturday has now covered a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that exist on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain, the new snow will also overlie a sun crust reported on steep sun-exposed slopes as well as surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting was also recently reported as a result of the current cold temperatures. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions can be expected as it settles into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 30-60 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness buried mid-December may be found down 600-110 cm, but is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain an isolated concern in shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 15-30cm of new, low-density snow sits on previous surfaces that may include heavily wind affected snow, surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or facets. By Saturday afternoon the new storm snow was forming slabs and running naturally on northerly aspects in the Corbin zone. Crusts can be found near the previous surface on solar aspects at high elevations and on all aspects below 1600m. The hard windslabs below the recent storm snow have not bonded well to the previous surface and are easy to trigger in isolated lee and cross-loaded features. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Taking regional variations into consideration, 15-25cm of new snow typically sits on wind-affected surfaces at higher elevations. This new snow is forming touchy soft slabs on all aspects as winds have been shifting on Saturday. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-40 cm of new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. An additional 15-20 cm is expected by Sunday morning, bringing storm totals to 40-60 cm. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 60-100 cm down and recent snowpack tests have shown hard, yet sudden planar results. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-25 cm of new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. An additional 20-25 cm of new snow is expected by Sunday morning, bringing storm totals up to 35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north). The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week has been redistributed by continuous strong to extreme outflow winds, creating widespread wind effect at upper elevations. Touchy wind slabs up to 45cm thick were running on relatively low angled terrain near 1300m in the Shames backcountry. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow the January 18th rain crust is producing moderate sudden shears down 85cm in snowpack tests; however, it isn't showing signs of propagation being likely. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend's snowfall sits on a rain crust up to about 1400 m in many parts of the region. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs, especially on south/southeast aspects. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 30-70 cm deep. Reports from last week indicate these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load from last week reached a critical level and woke up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region, especially shallower (100-140cm) snowpack areas. Currently the probability of triggering an avalanche on those deeper layers has lowered but the consequence remains high. It is still a good time to be cautious and disciplined with terrain choices at upper elevations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 20 cm of new, low-density snow from Friday and Saturday has now buried a range of surface conditions that developed over the past week. Along with wind slabs that recently formed on a wide range of aspects, the new snow has also buried a sun crust that was reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar found on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. Surface faceting was also reported as a result of cold temperatures over the week. The new snow will likely form a weak bond to these surfaces and touchy conditions can be expected as it accumulates into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-60 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 110-130 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20-25 cm of new snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes and surface hoar in sheltered areas. Another 15-20 cm is expected by Sunday morning bringing storm totals to 35-45 cm. Below the surface, 50-65 cm of settled snow now sits above an interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts and the strength of the bond is reportedly variable. Recent snowpack tests have shown sudden results on that interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. Smaller storm slab avalanches may step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">20cm of recent storm snow (2150m) sits on top of a widespread hard wind slab from the Jan 29th wind event. The thickness of this slab varies between 10 &amp; 30cm. A touchy facet layer sits below the hard wind slab. The midpack is consistently weak. The Nov 12 basal crust is still intact in some areas with depth hoar and facets below. The storm came in with very little wind. At the moment its thought there are isolated alpine storm slabs in immediate lee areas</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">35-40 cm of new snow is sitting on a knife hard crust/ice glaze. These storm slabs have been very reactive to human triggers. An additional 20-25 cm is expected by Sunday morning which will increase the expected size and destructive nature of the avalanches. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth up to 300 cm at treeline.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-30 cm of new snow over Friday and Saturday has now buried a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that exist on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain, the new snow also overlies a sun crust recently reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting has also been reported as a result of last week's cold temperatures. The bond of the new snow to these underlying surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions can be expected as the new snow continues to accumulate into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-70 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 20-40 cm of new snow over Friday and Saturday has now covered a range of different conditions that existed at our previous surface. In addition to wind slabs that existed on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain, the new snow also overlies a sun crust recently reported on steep sun-exposed slopes as well as surface hoar recently found growing on sheltered open slopes. Surface faceting was also recently reported as a result of last week's cold temperatures. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions can be expected as it continues to accumulate into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-80 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness buried mid-December may be found down 70-120 cm, but is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain an isolated concern in shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the snow surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 25-45cm of new, low-density snow sits on previous surfaces that may include heavily wind affected snow, surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or facets. This new snow has been transported by west through southeast winds and is forming touchy storm slabs up to 80cm thick at almost all elevations and aspects. By Saturday afternoon the new storm snow was forming slabs and running naturally on northerly aspects in the Corbin zone. The hard windslabs below the recent storm snow have not bonded well to the previous surface and are easy to trigger in isolated lee and cross-loaded features. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow totals are taking on epic proportions near Castle mountain with upwards of 60cm falling in the past two days. Across the region, 25-60cm of new snow typically sits on wind-affected surfaces at higher elevations. This new snow is forming touchy soft slabs on all aspects in the alpine and treeline as winds were shifting on Saturday. Below 1500 metres you may find an isolated thin breakable rain crust about 1 cm thick. The snowpack is quite variable throughout the region. In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer buried 50-100 cm deep. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">50-90 cm of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 100-180 cm down. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from last week has been redistributed by continuous strong to extreme (north) easterly outflow winds, creating widespread wind effect. Touchy wind slabs on south/southwest aspects up to 45cm thick were running on relatively low angled terrain near 1300m in the Shames backcountry. At lower elevations, precipitation fell as rain and a surface (or near-surface) crust may now be found below about 1000m. Below the recent storm snow the January 18th rain crust is producing moderate sudden shears down 85cm in snowpack tests; however, it isn't showing signs of propagation being likely. The snowpack below this is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets (under wind slab) remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last weekend's snowfall sits on a rain crust up to about 1400 m in many parts of the region. At tree line and above, the storm snow is settling and/or being redistributed into new wind slabs, especially on west through southeast aspects. Below, several buried surface hoar layers can be found, between 30-70 cm deep. Reports from last week indicate these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load from last week reached a critical level and woke up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region, especially shallower (100-140cm) snowpack areas. Currently the probability of triggering an avalanche on those deeper layers has lowered but the consequence remains high. It is still a good time to be cautious and disciplined with terrain choices at upper elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10 to 25 cm of new, low-density snow from Friday and Saturday has now buried a range of surface conditions that developed over the past week. Along with wind slabs recently formed on a wide range of aspects, the new snow has also buried a sun crust that was reported on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar found on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. Surface faceting was also reported as a result of cold temperatures last week. The new snow will likely form a weak bond to these surfaces and touchy conditions can be expected as it continues to accumulate into storm slabs above them. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-60 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 110-130 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be sensitive to triggers in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light snowfall over the past few days (mainly in the south of the region) has given a thin cover to wind slabs that currently exist on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain. In more sheltered areas, the new snow has also begun burying both faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar that exists on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain sensitive to human triggers in isolated areas, especially where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas, or as much as 1.5 m in deeper snowpack areas. It woke up during the last storm and has remained reactive to human triggers. This weak layer is responsible for several large human-triggered avalanches, including some with multiple burials, and the layer may remain reactive for the foreseeable future. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs/nearmisses-freegifts" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Click here for a new blog post with more details.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">25-45 cm of recent storm snow has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Another 25-45 cm is expected by Monday evening bringing storm totals to 50-90 cm. Snowfall amounts are expected to be highest around Kootenay Pass and taper dramatically as you go north. These slabs have been reported as being very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar(size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. 40-70 cm of snow now overlies the weak layer of surface hoar(feathery crystals) and facets(sugar snow) that was buried in mid-January. There have been no recent reports of avalanches on this interface, but this may change with the increasing load. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 50cm of new snow in the past 24hrs, with storm snow totals now as much as 80cm at Treeline now overlies the previously formed hard wind slab in most areas. At lower elevations the snowpack has doubled in just 2 days. Minimal wind effect at Treeline so far, but expect more in the Alpine (unconfirmed due to very poor visibility). Very touchy shears within the storm snow down 10 to 30cm, which were easily triggered remotely, from as far away as 40 metres, by the forecasting team today.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">45-80 cm of recent storm snow is sitting on a knife hard crust. These storm slabs have been very reactive to human triggers. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 30 cm of new low density snow from Sunday night has brought our new snow totals from the past few days to around 40-80 cm. Our new snow has buried a range of different surface conditions that developed last week. These previous surfaces include wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar found growing on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. The bond of the new snow to these underlying surfaces will take some time to form, and touchy conditions should be expected both at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces within the new snow. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-100 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 30 cm of new, low density snow fell again on Sunday night, bringing new snow totals from the past few days to around 40-90 cm. There has been a distinct southern focus throughout the storm, with the northernmost part of the region only receiving about 25 cm of new snow. Our new snow lies over older surfaces that include wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain, sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions should be expected at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces within the new snow. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-100 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December found 70-130 cm is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain a concern isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 70cm of storm snow has accumulated over the weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the new snow in exposed terrain forming very touchy wind slabs. The new snow overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 90 cm of new low density storm snow has accumulated over the weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the new snow in exposed terrain forming very touchy wind slabs. The new snow overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and lower elevations, the snowpack is weak and faceted. For instance, in the Elk Valley north area near Crown Mountain last week the height of snow was 90 cm with foot penetration of 80 cm; or almost to ground. In these areas, the wind has formed isolated hard slabs above weak facets and created the potential for large persistent slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">50-80 cm of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar(up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar(weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. Moderate to strong overnight winds from a variety of directions are redistributing the storm snow into more cohesive slabs which will likely be reactive to human triggers. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 100-180 cm down. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Reports from last week indicate these layers had been yielding moderate to hard results in snowpack tests. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. The new load from last week reached a critical level and woke up a deep persistent slab problem in many parts of the region, especially shallower (100-140cm) snowpack areas. Currently the probability of triggering an avalanche on those deeper layers has lowered but the consequence remains high. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 25-40cm of new, low-density snow from the past few days has buried a range of surface conditions that developed last week. These previous surfaces include older wind slabs on a wide range of aspects, sun crust on steep solar aspects, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar found on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. The new snow is beginning to form a bond to these surfaces, but touchy conditions at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces should still be expected over the short term. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-80 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness was buried mid-December and can now be found down 110-130 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may remain reactive in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/forecasts/cariboos" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Read the Cariboo forecast for more information.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">45-85cm of recent storm snow has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass and taper dramatically as you go north. These slabs have been reported as being very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar(size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. 50-100 cm of snow now overlies the weak layer of surface hoar(feathery crystals) and facets(sugar snow) that was buried in mid-January. There has only been one recent report of an avalanche on this interface, but this may change with the increasing load. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15 to 20cm of new snow in the past 24hrs brings storm snow totals to near 100cm at Treeline over the past 3 days. This storm snow sits on a previously formed dense wind slab in many parts of the forecast area. Widespread wind effect in Alpine and open areas at Treeline. Suspect significant wind slab development. Forecasters have a concern that the new load will cause failures in the deeply buried weak layers of Dec 18 and Nov 12, causing deep and destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-80 cm of recent storm snow is sitting on a knife hard crust. The bond to this crust is slowly gaining strength according to recent reports. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 10 cm of new, low density snow on Monday night (coupled with 30 cm from Sunday night) has brought our new snow totals from the past few days to a wide-ranging 40-90 cm. The deepest accumulations appear to be focused near Goat Range Provincial Park. Our new snow has buried a range of different surface conditions that developed last week. These previous surfaces include wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar found growing on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. The bond of the new snow to these underlying surfaces will take some time to form, and touchy conditions should be expected both at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces within the new snow over the short term. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 15 cm of new, low density snow fell again Monday night, bringing new snow totals from the past few days to around 50-100 cm. There has been a distinct southern focus throughout the storm, with the northernmost tip of the region only receiving about 25 cm of new snow. Our new snow lies over older surfaces that include wind slabs on a variety of aspects in wind exposed terrain, sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will likely be weak and touchy conditions should be expected at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces within the new snow over the short term. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 40-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December found 70-140 cm is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">60-80cm of storm snow has accumulated over the weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the new snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. The new snow overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 90 cm of new low density storm snow has accumulated over the weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the new snow in exposed terrain forming very touchy wind slabs. The new snow overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. Prior to the storm, it was possible to step onto the snow surface in these areas and sink right to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-80 cm of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar(up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar(weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 100-180 cm down. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer is dormant for the time being but is expected to wake up with warming or heavy loading, or a smaller avalanche could step down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">While the northern tip of the region has received very little from the recent stormy weather, most of the region saw around 25-40cm of new, low-density snow burying a range of surface conditions that developed last week. These previous surfaces include older wind slabs on a wide range of aspects, sun crust on steep solar aspects, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar found on sheltered open slopes in the days before the storm. The new snow is beginning to form a bond to these surfaces, but touchy conditions at this interface as well as at mid-storm interfaces should still be expected over the short term. Recent reports identify buried sun crust as a particular problem. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-80 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December can now be found down roughly 110-130 cm. While activity at this layer has declined, professionals in the north of the region are still treating it with caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of new snow over the past few days has given a thin cover to wind slabs that currently exist on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain. While these wind slabs are suspected to be growing stubborn, our supply of new snow can be expected to have fed into the wind slab problem in wind exposed areas. In more sheltered areas, the new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar existing on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found down about 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas. While reactivity at this layer has declined, professionals in the region are still treating it with a great deal of caution.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">It should be noted that areas in the far south of the region saw as much as 25 cm of new snow over the course of the recent storm, coupled with strong winds. In these areas, the wind slab problem should be treated with considerably more caution.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">45-85cm of recent storm snow has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass and taper dramatically as you go north. These slabs have been reported as being very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar(size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. 50-100 cm of snow now overlies the weak layer of surface hoar(feathery crystals) and facets(sugar snow) that was buried in mid-January. There has only been one recent report of an avalanche on this interface, but this may change with the increasing load. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow totals in excess of 100cm have fallen at Treeline elevations in the previous 3 days. This snow has been drastically redistributed by strong winds and wind slabs now dominate Alpine and Treeline areas. In many areas this storm snow / wind slab condition sits on a previously formed very dense wind slab, which may provide an ideal sliding layer. Forecasters have a concern that the recent new load will cause failures in the deeply buried weak layers of Dec 18 and Nov 12, causing deep and destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-80 cm of recent storm snow is sitting on a knife hard crust. The bond to this crust is slowly gaining strength according to recent reports. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Fresh snow totals from the past few days to a wide-ranging 40-90 cm, with the highest amounts near the crest of the Selkirks in the western part of the region. This recent storm snow has settled into a slab, especially where it has been wind-loaded or warmed by the sun, which is bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with several easy to moderate shears being reported. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Fresh snow totals from the past few days are around 50-100 cm in the southern part of the region, with the northernmost tip of the region only receiving about 25 cm of new snow. This recent storm snow has settled into a slab, especially where it has been wind-loaded, which is bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with 'upside-down' conditions and several easy to moderate shears being reported. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 60-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December found 70-140 cm is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 20-30cm of snow on Wednesday night through Thursday will add an additional load to the 60-80cm of storm snow accumulated last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest round of snowfall. The combined accumulation of multiple storms' snow overlies a highly variable old surface which included wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 20-30cm of new snow is expected through the day Thursday to add to 90 cm of new low density storm snow that accumulated last weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest blanket of snow. All this overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the storms' snow and the old surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. Prior to the storm, it was possible to step onto the snow surface in these areas and sink right to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-80 cm of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar(up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar(weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 100-180 cm down. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 50-80 cm and the mid-December facets down 90-120 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring especially through periods of more load. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer is dormant for the time being but is expected to wake up with warming, heavy loading, or by the weight of a smaller avalanche stepping down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Most of the region received around 25-40cm of new, low-density snow over the past few days, while the northern tip of the region got much less. This recent storm snow has settled into a slab, especially where it has been wind-loaded or warmed by the sun, which is bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent reports identify buried sun crust as a particular problem. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with several easy to moderate shears being reported in areas with higher amounts of recent storm snow. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-80 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December can now be found down roughly 110-130 cm. While activity at this layer has declined, professionals in the north of the region are still treating it with caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 10 cm of new snow over the past few days has lightly buried old wind slabs that are lurking on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain. While these wind slabs are suspected to be growing stubborn, the fresh snow is likely forming new touchy slabs in wind exposed areas. In more sheltered areas, the new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar existing on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found down about 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas. While reactivity at this layer has declined, professionals in the region are still treating it with a great deal of caution.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">It should be noted that areas in the far south of the region saw as much as 25 cm of new snow over the course of the recent storm, coupled with strong winds. In these areas, the wind slab problem should be treated with considerably more caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">45-85cm of recent storm snow has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass and taper dramatically as you go north. These slabs have been reported as being very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar(size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. 50-100 cm of snow now overlies the weak layer of surface hoar(feathery crystals) and facets(sugar snow) that was buried in mid-January. There has only been one recent report of an avalanche on this interface, but this may change with the increasing load. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent storm snow has settled to between 50 and 80cm, which overlies a hard slab in Alpine areas and some Treeline features. This snow has been redistributed by strong winds, and wind slabs are now dominant on all aspects at Treeline and above. These slabs seem most sensitive to human-triggering in the Treeline elevation band. Snowpack stability tests today indicate easy to moderate shears down 35 and 55cm. Concern remains for the potential of an avalanche initiated in the upper snowpack to step down to the weak basal layers causing a very large and destructive avalanche. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-80 cm of recent storm snow is sitting on a knife hard crust. The bond to this crust is slowly gaining strength according to recent reports. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-25cm of fresh snow, accompanied by moderate winds, adds to the 40-90 cm from the past few days, with the highest amounts near the crest of the Selkirks in the western part of the region. This recent storm snow has settled into a slab, especially where it has been wind-loaded or warmed by the sun, which is bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with several easy to moderate shears being reported. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-25cm of fresh snow, accompanied by moderate winds, adds to the 50-100 cm from the past few days, with the heaviest amounts in the southern part of the region. This recent storm snow is forming deep touchy slabs, especially where it has been wind-loaded, which are bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with 'upside-down' conditions and several easy to moderate shears being reported. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 60-120 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December found 70-140 cm is generally considered dormant. This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 40cm of moist new snow fell on Thursday to add an additional load to the 60-80cm of storm snow accumulated last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest round of snowfall. The combined accumulation of multiple storms' snow overlies a highly variable old surface which included wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Thursday saw 15-30cm of moist new snow fall on top of the 90cm of low density storm snow that accumulated last weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest blanket of snow. All this overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the storms' snow and the old surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. Prior to the storm, it was possible to step onto the snow surface in these areas and sink right to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-80 cm of recent storm snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar(up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar(weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid-January interface (facets) is buried approximately 100-180 cm down. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">An additional 40+ cm of snow on Thursday added to the 35-50 cm(lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow that is sitting on a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 90-120 cm and the mid-December facets down 130-160 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas like the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially through periods of rapid loading. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled(stronger), than it is to the north. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer is dormant for the time being but is expected to wake up with warming, heavy loading, or by the weight of a smaller avalanche stepping down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-20cm of fresh snow, accompanied by moderate winds, adds to the 25-40 cm from the past few days, with the highest amounts in the southern part of the region. This recent storm snow has settled into a slab, especially where it has been wind-loaded or warmed by the sun, which is bonding poorly to the previous snow surface that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent reports identify buried sun crust as a particular problem. Weaknesses are also lingering within the recent storm snow, with several easy to moderate shears being reported in areas with higher amounts of recent storm snow. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 50-80 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December can now be found down roughly 110-130 cm. While activity at this layer has declined, professionals in the north of the region are still treating it with caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 10 cm adds to 10 cm of recent snow that buried old wind slabs lurking on a variety of aspects in wind-exposed terrain. While these old wind slabs are suspected to be growing stubborn, the fresh snow is likely forming new touchy slabs in wind exposed areas. In more sheltered areas, the new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar existing on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down 50-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found down about 70 cm in shallow snowpack areas. While reactivity at this layer has declined, professionals in the region are still treating it with a great deal of caution.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">It should be noted that areas in the far south of the region saw as much as 25 cm of new snow over the course of the recent storm, coupled with strong winds. In these areas, the wind slab problem should be treated with considerably more caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20-30 cm of snow fell Thursday on top of the 45-85cm of recent storm snow which has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass. These slabs have been reported as being very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar(size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. 50-100 cm of snow now overlies the weak layer of surface hoar(feathery crystals) and facets(sugar snow) that was buried in mid-January. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snow began falling later in the afternoon on Thursday as well as westerly winds and temperatures began to increase.  Forecasters were running into storm slabs up to 30cm thick in most open areas at all elevation bands.  The more deeply buried weak facetted base is also widespread in the region and any avalanche that initiates in the upper snowpack is likely to step down to this weak base and involve the entire winters snowpack.  Winds winds and snow expected to continue over the next 24hrs, we only expect these storm slabs to become thicker and more reactive. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">50-80 cm of recent storm is sitting on a knife hard crust.  This snow was saturated by rain on Thursday at treeline and below which will form a new crust when freezing levels drop Thursday night and the rain turns back into snow. 15-20 cm of snow is forecast for Friday and may form fresh storm slabs sitting on a new crust. In the alpine, where all of the precipitation has fallen as snow, the storm slabs will remain touchy and likely to human trigger on Friday. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Continued snowfall has totalled between approximately 70 cm to over a metre of settled storm snow in the past week, with warm temperatures and wind forming very touchy slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the top 60 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down over a metre in most areas and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but faceted and weak in shallower areas; however, lacking any reactive layers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Continued snowfall has totalled between approximately 60 cm to well over a metre in the past week, with warm temperatures and wind forming very touchy slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of easy shears in the top 50 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 35mm of precipitation fell over Thursday night, with periods of rain leading to diminished new snow amounts of around 15-25 cm at treeline elevations. This precipitation fell over the roughly 40cm of moist new snow from Thursday, adding additional load to the 60-80cm of storm snow that accumulated in the region last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest round of snowfall. The combined accumulation of multiple storms' snow now overlies a highly variable old surface which included wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the new snow and the old surface. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-30cm of moist new snow fell over the region on Thursday, with some periods of rain observed at lower elevations. This precipitation has accumulated above the 90cm of low density storm snow that we received last weekend. Strong shifting winds have redistributed the previous storm's snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. These wind slabs are now obscured by the latest blanket of snow. All of this overlies a highly variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. Recent reports suggest a poor bond between the storms' snow and the old surface. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. Prior to the storm, it was possible to step onto the snow surface in these areas and sink right to the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80 cm of recent storm snow fell with moderate to strong southerly winds and formed touchy wind slabs on northerly aspects. Inverted temperatures (warmer at higher elevations) made the slab problem worse. The new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar (up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar (weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming early next week), especially in shallower, rocky areas. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">An additional 40+ cm of snow on Thursday added to the 35-50 cm (lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow. Temperatures rose on Thursday afternoon, increasing the likelihood slab avalanches with the heavier snow on top of lighter, drier snow. All this storm snow is sitting on a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind effected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-January surface hoar and facet interface is now buried 90-120 cm and the mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially through periods of rapid loading. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow over Friday night will begin to cover the widespread wind affected surfaces that have recently been reported in exposed terrain, including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow now being buried was recently reported faceting with surface hoar developing in open areas. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Widespread wind affected surfaces are being reported in exposed terrain including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow is reported to be faceting and surface hoar is developing. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer is dormant for the time being but is expected to wake up with warming, heavy loading, or by the weight of a smaller avalanche stepping down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">An additional 30-50 cm of fresh snow on Friday, brings total snowfall in the past week to 60-100 cm, with warm temperatures and wind forming very touchy slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears in the top 50 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down over a metre in most areas and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December can now be found down roughly 150 cm. While activity at this layer has declined, professionals in the north of the region are still treating it with caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">With up to 50 cm of fresh snow on Friday, total snowfall over the past week is around 70 cm with warm temperatures and wind forming very touchy slabs. Weaknesses likely exist within this recent storm, which is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes old hard wind slabs and crusts as well as faceted snow and surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around a metre</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found over a metre in shallow snowpack areas. While reactivity at this layer has declined, professionals in the region are still treating it with a great deal of caution.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 20-30 cm of wet snow fell up to 1800m on Thursday and sits on top of the 45-85cm of recent storm snow: This has created touchy storm slabs at all elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass. These slabs have been reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects.&nbsp; Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Its hard to paint a widespread picture of the snowpack right now. At treeline, there is 50-60cm of settled storm snow. Generally this new snow is still considered soft (4f), however in more exposed areas it is noticeably denser(1f). This change is from either wind transport, wind pressing or settlement. The real story is what its sitting on. At treeline and below, it is sitting on the facets from earlier this year. During our field trip today (Superslope area) there was widespread whumphing and cracking. In more open, wind exposed terrain, the new snow is sitting on a hard windslab that was buried on Feb 4th. In these areas the snowpack feels better under foot, but under the hardslab is a well developed facet layer that will create large avalanches if it fails. The alpine is currently being hammered by the wind and we are expecting start zones to be filling up with wind blown snow. The forecasting team's gut feeling today is that any open terrain greater than 20 degrees should be avoided. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 15-20cm of wet heavy snow at treeline since Thursday afternoon, sitting on 20-30 cm drier snow. This makes 50-70 cm of cumulative storm snow which is bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. In the alpine, where all of the precipitation has fallen as snow, the storm slabs will remain touchy and likely to human trigger on Saturday. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-70 cm of storm snow has accumulated of the past few days. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the top 70 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of storm snow has typically accumulated of the past few days. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the top 60 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. It has generally stabilized but may be sensitive to triggering in isolated areas where surface hoar is preserved. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. These layers are expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming, and if they wake up, very large avalanches are possible.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 45mm of precipitation fell over Thursday night and Friday, with periods of rain leading to diminished new snow amounts of around 15-25 cm accumulating at treeline elevations. A breakable rain crust can be found at varying depths within this new snow at treeline and below. This precipitation fell over the roughly 40cm of moist new snow recorded on Thursday, adding additional load to the 60-80cm of dry storm snow that accumulated in the region last weekend. Strong, shifting winds redistributed the previous storm's snow, forming wind slabs in exposed terrain. The combined accumulation of multiple storms' snow now overlies a variable old surface which included wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. The bond between the earlier storm snow and this old surface is suspected to be improving. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Friday night saw another 10-15cm accumulate in the south of the region, with only a trace elsewhere. This now lies above 15-30 cm of moist new snow that fell over the region on Thursday, which was mixed with periods of rain at lower elevations. These more recent accumulations overlie the 90cm of low density storm snow that we received last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed this previous storm snow in exposed terrain, forming wind slabs that are now obscured by the latest blanket of snow. All of this overlies a variable old surface which may include wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. The poor bond at the interface between the older storm snow and the previous surface is suspected to be improving slowly.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas the snowpack's weakness may reach a tipping point as freezing levels rise steadily over the coming days.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80 cm of recent storm snow fell with moderate to strong southerly winds and formed variable wind slabs on northerly aspects. Inverted temperatures (warmer at higher elevations) made the slab problem worse. The new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar (up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar (weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming early next week), especially in shallower, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">An additional 20 + cm of snow fell Friday into Saturday on the Coquihalla with moderate to strong southwest winds; meanwhile, only 4cm fell in the Duffey Lake zone. This new snow added to the 65-80 cm (lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow. Temperatures rose on Thursday afternoon, increasing the likelihood slab avalanches with the heavier snow on top of lighter, drier snow. All this storm snow is sitting on a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar and surface facets in sheltered locations. The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially through periods of rapid loading. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New snow has begun to cover the widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain. This includes scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. In areas sheltered from the wind, the surface snow now being buried was recently reported faceting with surface hoar developing in open areas. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found near the surface of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now typically down 70-100 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A light snowfall in some parts of the region has given a thin cover to the widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain. This includes scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. The new snow will contribute to wind slab formation in wind exposed areas. In areas sheltered from the wind, new snow has begun to cover faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be expected beneath the new snow. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer is dormant for the time being but is expected to wake up with warming, heavy loading, or by the weight of a smaller avalanche stepping down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of storm snow has typically accumulated of the past few days. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the top 60 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes.  The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness that was buried mid-December can now be found down roughly 150 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be reactive in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.  This layer is expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-50 cm of storm snow has accumulated of the past few days. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses likely exist within this recent storm snow and easy shears are expected within the top 50 cm. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February that includes old hard wind slabs and crusts as well as faceted snow and surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around a metre</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found over a metre in shallow snowpack areas.  These old weak layers are expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming, and if they wake up, very large avalanches are possible.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 20-30 cm of wet snow fell up to 1900m on Thursday and ended with a 1-2cm thick crust on all aspects below this elevation. Since then, up to 30cm additional snow has fallen (mostly near Nelson) and brings the recent storm snow total to 65-100cm, creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass. Slabs have been reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10cm of new snow from yesterday and overnight. In the alpine, this new snow was picked up by the strong winds and redistributed as more windslab. The alpine is starting to look like its old self. Lots of bare ridges and crossloaded gullies or cornices. As can be expected, the wind has helped the cornices grow. In some cases these have fallen off and started avalanches within the new windslabs. Treeline is similar to yesterday, only the wind loading and cross loading is more pronounced. With the strong winds, the alpine/treeline borders are a bit blurry right now. The alpine windslab problem will be encountered at treeline elevations. Expect windslabs everywhere to be much harder than previous days. Below treeline still has a distinct &quot;upside down&quot; feel to it due to the weak mid-pack. Whumphing is still common and can propagate a long ways through the weaker layers. Think of this as you approach overhead terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 15-25cm of (wet heavy) snow at treeline on Thursday into Friday, all sitting on 20-30 cm drier snow. This makes 50-70 cm of cumulative storm snow which is bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. In the alpine, where all of the precipitation has fallen as snow, the storm slabs will remain touchy and possible to human trigger on Sunday. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-60 cm of storm snow has accumulated of the past few days and is settling quickly due to the recent mild temperatures. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses may still exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the storm snow. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the old interface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of storm snow has typically accumulated of the past few days. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the top 60 cm. The early February interface is now down 60-80 cm and includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, sun crust on south aspects, and/or faceted old snow. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">This and deeper persistent weaknesses remain concerns isolated to shallow snowpack areas where they lie closer to the surface. These layers are expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming, and if they wake up, very large avalanches are possible.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong ridgetop winds have led to roughly 10 cm of wind scoured and pressed new snow at the surface, leaving very little in the way of ski penetration at treeline and above. Below around 1700 metres, the supportive, wind-affected snow gives way to a breakable rain crust. Beneath these variable surfaces lies an estimated metre of storm snow from storms over the past two weekends. The upper half of this layer was deposited as heavy, moist snow, while the lower half is considerably drier and less dense. This 'upside down' storm snow layer lies above a range of previous surfaces that includes wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. The bond between this earlier storm snow and the old surface is suspected to be improving slowly while hard conditions at the current surface may be diminishing the effect of human triggering. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Roughly 10 cm of new snow received late last week has been redistributed by strong southerly winds at upper elevations. Where it hasn't blown away, this new snow now lies above the 15-30 cm of moist snow that fell over the region on Thursday, which was mixed with periods of rain at lower elevations. Together, these more recent accumulations overlie the 90cm of low density storm snow that we received last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed this previous storm snow in exposed terrain, forming wind slabs over a variable old surface which includes wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. The poor bond at the interface between this older storm snow and the previous surface is suspected to be improving slowly.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas the snowpack's weakness may reach a tipping point as temperatures rise over the coming days.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80 cm of recent storm snow fell with moderate to strong southerly winds and formed variable wind slabs on northerly aspects. Inverted temperatures (warmer at higher elevations) made the slab problem worse. The new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar (up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar (weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming early this week), especially in the aforementioned shallower, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">An additional 20 + cm of snow fell Friday into Saturday on the Coquihalla with moderate to strong southwest winds; meanwhile, only 4cm fell in the Duffey Lake zone. This new snow added to the 65-80 cm (lower amounts in the north) of recent storm snow. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The main concern right now in the Duffey zone is lingering storm and wind slabs, which have given moderate resistant and sudden results (down 30-40cm) in recent snowpack tests. On the Coquihalla, a temperature crust can be found up to 1800m and significant wind effect occurred at upper treeline and alpine elevations. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially with rapid warming next week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 30-60 cm of new snow now lies on the surface, the product of a storm currently impacting the northwest coastal region. The new snow is burying widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain, including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. Faceting of surface snow was also taking place in the days before the storm as well as sun crust formation on steep solar aspects. In areas sheltered from the wind, the new snow may also bury 5-10 mm surface hoar. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found at or just below the new snow interface. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now down roughly 80-120 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, mainly where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A light snowfall over most of the region has given a thin cover to the widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain. This includes scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. The new snow will contribute to wind slab formation in wind exposed areas. In areas sheltered from the wind, new snow will cover cover faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar. Below around 1400 m elevation, a rain crust can be expected beneath the new snow. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but it may become active once again with progressive warming over the next few days. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">40-60 cm of storm snow has typically accumulated of the past few days and is settling quickly due to the warm temperatures. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses may still exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the storm snow. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the old interface from early February that includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. This layer is expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-50 cm of storm snow has typically accumulated of the past few days and is settling quickly due to the warm temperatures. Recent strong winds from the south and west have redistributed this snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. Weaknesses may still exist within this recent storm snow with reports of 'upside-down' conditions and easy shears within the storm snow. All this new snow is also bonding poorly to the old interface from early February </span><span class="s_3FE45715">that includes old hard wind slabs and crusts as well as faceted snow and surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around a metre</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and consists of buried surface hoar in sheltered areas, and/or widespread faceted old snow. It</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> has generally stabilized but may remain reactive in isolated areas where buried surface hoar is preserved. Another surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December can now be found over a metre in shallow snowpack areas. These old weak layers are expected to get tested with the upcoming period of sustained warming, and if they wake up, very large avalanches are possible.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the end of last week up to 30cm additional snow fell (mostly near Nelson) and brought the recent storm snow total to 65-100cm, creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Snowfall amounts have been highest around Kootenay Pass. Slabs have been reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wind slabs dominate the Alpine and Treeline elevation bands. These slabs are found on all aspects, but the most recent loading pattern is from the SW loading up traditional lee and cross-loaded terrain and starting to strip windward slopes in the Alpine. As can be expected, the wind has helped the cornices grow and in some cases these have fallen off and started avalanches within the recent wind slabs. Below Treeline still has a distinct &quot;upside down&quot; feel to it due to the weak mid-pack. Whumphing is widespread and can propagate a long ways through the weaker layers. Think of this as you approach overhead terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from late last week (15-25cm) has consolidated well at treeline and below. This makes 50-70 cm of cumulative storm snow which is bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. In the alpine, where all of the precipitation has fallen as snow, the storm slabs have taken longer to settle out and still are a concern: Dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The storm snow from Thursday and Friday is settling quickly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing some melting on Monday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The storm snow from Thursday and Friday is settling quickly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing some melting on Monday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The early February interface is now down 60-80 cm and includes sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm. These d</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">eep persistent weaknesses appear to be waking up with the warmer temperatures and several avalanches have recently released up to 2 m deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong ridgetop winds have led to roughly 10 cm of wind scoured and pressed new snow at the surface, leaving very little in the way of ski penetration at treeline and above. Below around 1700 metres, the supportive, wind-affected snow gives way to a breakable rain crust. Beneath these variable surfaces lies an estimated metre of storm snow from storms over the past two weekends. The upper half of this layer was deposited as heavy, moist snow, while the lower half is considerably drier and less dense. This 'upside down' storm snow layer lies above a range of previous surfaces that includes wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. The bond between this earlier storm snow and the old surface is suspected to be improving slowly while hard conditions at the current surface may be diminishing the effect of human triggering. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Roughly 10 cm of new snow received late last week has been redistributed into wind slabs by strong southerly winds at upper elevations. Where it hasn't blown away, this new snow now lies above the 15-30 cm of moist snow that fell over the region on Thursday, which was mixed with periods of rain at lower elevations. Together, these more recent accumulations overlie the 90cm of low density storm snow that we received last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed this previous storm snow in exposed terrain, forming wind slabs over a variable old surface which includes wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. The bond at the interface between this older storm snow and the previous surface is suspected to be improving slowly.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas the snowpack's weakness may reach a tipping point as warm temperatures persist over the coming days.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80 cm of storm snow fell last week with moderate to strong southerly winds - this formed variable wind slabs on northerly aspects. Inverted temperatures (warmer at higher elevations) made the slab problem worse and created layers that are still giving sudden results down 30, 40, and 60cms in snowpack tests. The new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar (up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar (weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming this week), especially in the aforementioned shallower, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week we had 60-80cm storm snow (lower amounts in the north), which fell with moderate to strong southwest winds. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The main concern right now in the Duffey zone is lingering storm and wind slabs, which have given moderate resistant and sudden results (down 30-40cm and also 60-70cm) in recent snowpack tests (see above for more information). On the Coquihalla, a temperature crust can be found up to 1800m and significant wind effect occurred at upper treeline and alpine elevations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially with rapid warming next week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 40-80 cm of new snow now lies on the surface, the product of a storm impacting the northwest coastal region over the past few days. Precipitation has been falling as wet snow or rain at lower elevations. The new snow has buried widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain, including scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs. Faceting of surface snow was also taking place in the days before the storm as well as sun crust formation on steep solar aspects. In areas sheltered from the wind, the new snow may also bury 5-10 mm surface hoar. Below around 1100 m elevation, a rain crust can be found at or just below the new snow interface. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now down roughly 80-120 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, mainly where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A light snowfall over most of the region has given a thin cover to the widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain. This includes scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs as well as a rain crust below about 1400 m. The new snow will contribute to wind slab formation in wind exposed areas while covering faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar in more sheltered areas. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but it may become active once again with sustained warming over the coming days. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from Thursday and Friday is settling quickly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing some melting on Monday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. This layer is expected to get tested during the current period of sustained warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from Thursday and Friday is settling quickly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing some melting on Monday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming touchy wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 40-70 cm and includes old hard wind slabs and crusts as well as faceted snow and surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and the</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the warmer temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the end of last week up to 30cm additional snow fell (mostly near Nelson) and brought the recent storm snow total to 65-100cm, creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Slabs were reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wind slabs dominate the Alpine and Treeline elevation bands. These slabs are found on all aspects, but the most recent loading pattern is from the SW loading up traditional lee and cross-loaded terrain and starting to strip windward slopes in the Alpine. Cornices have grown to a significant size and can be triggered by the forecast warmer temperatures, Below Treeline , rapid settlement of the snowpack was observed with the warmer temperatures. Whumphing is widespread and can propagate a long ways through the weaker layers. Think of this as you approach overhead terrain. Moist snow can be expected at lower elevations and on steep solar aspects.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">The snow from late last week (15-25cm) has consolidated well at treeline and below. This makes 50-70 cm of cumulative storm snow which so far has been bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. That said, recent snowpack tests near Cypress ski area gave sudden planar, propagation-likely results down 70cm on the Feb 3rd widespread crust layer. This may become a sliding layer on Wednesday with the heavy rain.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">In the alpine, where all of the precipitation has fallen as snow, the storm slabs have taken longer to settle out and still are a concern: Dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from last week has settled rapidly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing melting on Tuesday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. This layer has remained reactive recently and has been the main sliding layer for most of the recent slab avalanche activity. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from last week has settling rapidly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing melting on Tuesday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. This layer has remained reactive recently and has been the main sliding layer for most of the recent slab avalanche activity. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm. These d</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">eep persistent weaknesses appear to be waking up with the warmer temperatures and several avalanches have recently released up to 2 m deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong ridgetop winds have left surfaces wind-scoured and pressed leaving very little in the way of ski penetration at treeline and above. Below around 1700 metres you'll likely find a breakable rain crust. Beneath these variable surfaces lies an estimated metre of storm snow from storms over the past two weekends. The upper half of this layer was deposited as heavy, moist snow, while the lower half is considerably drier and less dense. This 'upside down' storm snow layer lies above a range of previous surfaces that includes wind affected surfaces, a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas, facets, and/or a thin sun crust. The bond between this earlier storm snow and the old surface is suspected to be improving slowly while hard conditions at the current surface may be diminishing the effect of human triggering. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Roughly 10 cm of new snow received late last week has been redistributed into wind slabs by strong southerly winds at upper elevations. Where it hasn't blown away, this new snow now lies above the 15-30 cm of dense snow that fell over the region on Thursday, which was mixed with periods of rain at lower elevations. Together, these more recent accumulations overlie the 90cm of low density storm snow that we received last weekend. Strong shifting winds redistributed this previous storm snow in exposed terrain, forming wind slabs over a variable old surface which includes wind affected surfaces, facets, and/or a rain crust below around 1500 m. The bond at the interface between this older storm snow and the previous surface is suspected to be improving slowly.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the snowpack appears to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which was buried 50-100 cm deep prior to the weekend storm. In shallow snowpack areas and at lower elevations, the mid to lower snowpack is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas the snowpack's weakness may reach a tipping point as warm temperatures persist over the coming days.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent warming and sunny conditions gave us a widespread sun crust on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80 cm of storm snow fell last week with moderate to strong southerly winds - this formed variable wind slabs on northerly aspects. Changing temperatures during the storm made the slab problem worse and created layers that are still giving sudden results down 30, 40, and 60cms in snowpack tests. The new snow has buried a wide variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slab or wind affected snow at upper elevations, sun crust on steep southerly slopes, surface hoar (up to 10 mm) in sheltered locations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In sheltered ares where the recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar (weak, feathery crystals), you may see increased reactivity on this layer as the storm snow begins to settle into a more cohesive slab. The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming this week), especially in the shallow, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent warming and sunny conditions gave us a widespread sun crust on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Last week we had 60-80cm storm snow (lower amounts in the north), which fell with moderate to strong southwest winds.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The main concern in the Duffey zone is lingering storm and wind slabs, which have given moderate resistant and sudden results (down 30-40cm and also 60-70cm) in snowpack tests (see above for more information). On the Coquihalla, a temperature crust can be found up to 1800m and significant wind effect occurred at upper treeline and alpine elevations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially with rapid warming next week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Anywhere from 40-80 cm of recent snowfall has fallen. Precipitation has been falling as wet snow or rain at lower elevations. The new snow overlies a variety of old surfaces which include wind slabs, facets, sun crusts on steep solar aspects and well-developed surface hoar in sheltered locations. Deeper in the snowpack, the mid-January surface hoar/facet layer is now down roughly 80-120 cm. Recent observations suggest the layer has generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, mainly where buried surface hoar is still intact. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A light snowfall over most of the region has given a thin cover to the widespread wind affected surfaces recently reported in exposed terrain. This includes scoured surfaces, sastrugi, and hard wind slabs as well as a rain crust below about 1400 m. The new snow will contribute to wind slab formation in wind exposed areas while covering faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar in more sheltered areas. Deeper in the snowpack, several buried surface hoar layers can be found between 30-70 cm deep. Recent reports suggest these layers have generally stabilized but isolated weaknesses may still exist, especially where buried surface hoar is still intact. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but it may become active once again with sustained warming over the coming days. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from last week has settling rapidly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing melting on Tuesday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. This layer has remained reactive recently and has been the main sliding layer for most of the recent slab avalanche activity. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. This layer is expected to get tested during the current period of sustained warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The storm snow from last week has settling rapidly due to the recent mild temperatures. The snow surface is expected to have undergoing melting on Tuesday afternoon on sun exposed slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The early February weak layer is typically down 40-70 cm and includes hard old wind slabs, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. This layer has remained reactive recently and has been the main sliding layer for most of the recent slab avalanche activity. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and the</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the current warm temperatures. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent warming and sunny conditions gave us a widespread sun crust on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the end of last week up to 30cm additional snow fell (mostly near Nelson) and brought the recent storm snow total to 65-100cm, creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Slabs were reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The warm temperatures are helping the upper snowpack to settle and producing moist snow on steeper solar aspects.  At tree line 50-60cm of settled snow is overlying a facet layer that is about 70cm down producing hard test results.  The bottom quarter of the snowpack is weak and consists of facets, depth hoar and the early season crusts.  Expect continued wind transport for Wednesday especially on lee features and cross loaded gullies.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The snow from late last week (15-25cm) has consolidated well at treeline and below. This makes 50-70 cm of cumulative storm snow which so far has been bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. That said, recent snowpack tests near the Cypress ski area gave sudden planar, propagation-likely results down 70cm on the Feb 3rd widespread crust layer. This may become a sliding layer on Wednesday with the heavy rain.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the alpine, where the precipitation fell as snow, the storm slabs have taken longer to settle out and still are a concern: Dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 10 cm fresh snow has fallen at higher elevations accompanied by strong southerly winds, while elsewhere the snow surface has become wet, loose and cohesionless from rain and previous sun-exposure. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs.  The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Flurries have resulted in light amounts of fresh snow at higher elevations, while elsewhere the snow surface has become wet, loose and cohesionless on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm. These d</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">eep persistent weaknesses appear to be waking up with the warmer temperatures and several avalanches have recently released up to 2 m deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">By Thursday morning, up to 20cm of new snow is expected with continued snowfall anticipated throughout the day. Extreme southwest winds are forecast to shift these accumulations into reactive storm slabs in exposed high elevation terrain, while rain is expected at lower elevations. Beneath the new snow, you'll find a mix of hard old wind slabs, melt-freeze crusts and moist snow from the recent warm spell. Some weaknesses may still exist within the 90cm of storm snow from last week; however, recent warming has likely helped strengthen these layers. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Thursday morning, up to 8cm of new snow is expected with continued snowfall anticipated throughout the day. Extreme southwest winds are forecast to shift these accumulations into reactive wind slabs in exposed high elevation terrain, while rain is expected at lower elevations. Beneath the new snow, you'll find a mix of hard old wind slabs, melt-freeze crusts and moist snow from the recent warm spell. Some weaknesses may still exist within the 90cm of storm snow from last week; however, recent warming has likely helped to strengthen these layers.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In deeper areas, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which comprises the bottom third of the snowpack. In shallow snowpack areas, this layer is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas, snowpack test results and reports of whumpfing suggest large avalanches remain a concern at this interface.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We had strong southerly winds and heavy rain to 1500m on Tuesday night (and rain to 2000m during the day Wednesday). This new rain (or snow higher up) sits on either wind slabs in the alpine or temperature crusts at treeline and below, especially on east and south aspects. Both of these surfaces will be good sliding layers for future snowfall. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled (strong). However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming this week), especially in the shallow, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the Duffey Lake area 25 cm of snow fell on Tuesday in to Wednesday. In the south (Coquihalla) we had moderate southerly winds and heavy rain above 1600m on Tuesday night (and rain to 2000m during the day Wednesday). This new rain (or snow higher up) sits on either wind slabs in the alpine or temperature crusts at treeline and below, especially on east and south aspects. Both of these surfaces will be good sliding layers for future snowfall. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm still remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/ or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant monitoring, especially with the warming and extra loading this week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled (stronger), than it is to the north.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Tuesday night and Wednesday, the region received approximately 30cm of new snow adding to the healthy amounts of storm snow from last weekend. Wind data in the Terrace area has been scarce, although I'd assume strong winds have likely shifted these accumulations into much deeper deposits in higher elevation terrain. Below about 1000m, rain has continued to saturate the snowpack. Up to about 90cm below the surface, you'll find a variety of old surfaces which were buried on February 10th. These include wind slabs, facets, sun crusts on steep solar aspects and well-developed surface hoar in sheltered locations. This interface has been reported to be most reactive at treeline where the surface hoar has been well-preserved. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Tuesday night between 5 and 20cm of new snow fell. Wind data has been sparse, although I'm sure stronger winds have created deeper deposits in higher elevation lee terrain. Below around 1000m recent precipitation fell as rain and has saturated snow surfaces. About 30- 60cm below the surface, you may find surface hoar which was buried on February 10th. There is a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this surface hoar layer throughout the region. I'd continue to test for this layer before committing to any steeper terrain. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but should be monitored, especially during periods of warmer temperatures. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 10 cm fresh snow has fallen at higher elevations accompanied by strong southerly winds, while elsewhere the snow surface has become wet, loose and cohesionless from rain and previous sun-exposure. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. This weak layer has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. This layer is expected to get tested during the current period of sustained warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Flurries have resulted in light amounts of fresh snow at higher elevations, while elsewhere the snow surface has become wet, loose and cohesionless on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 40-70 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. Recent strong winds from the south and west had redistributed the recent storm snow in exposed terrain forming wind slabs. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and the</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the current warm temperatures. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The recent warming and sunny conditions gave us a widespread sun crust on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. These will be excellent sliding surfaces for incoming new snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the end of last week up to 30cm additional snow fell (mostly near Nelson) and brought the recent storm snow total to 65-100cm, creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Slabs were reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The warm temperatures are helping the upper snowpack to settle and producing moist snow on steeper solar aspects. At tree line 50-60cm of settled snow is overlying a facet layer that is about 70cm down producing hard test results. The bottom quarter of the snowpack is weak and consists of facets, depth hoar and the early season crusts. Expect continued wind transport for Wednesday especially on lee features and cross loaded gullies.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The 50-70 cm of snow from last week has been saturated by 100mm + of rain on Tuesday through Wednesday. So far, all has been bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. That said, snowpack tests near the Cypress ski area on the weekend gave sudden planar, propagation-likely results down 70cm on the Feb 3rd widespread crust layer. This may become a sliding layer on Thursday with the continued rain.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the alpine, where the precipitation fell as snow, the storm slabs have taken longer to settle out and still are a concern: Dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers, and to see how the rain is affecting it. The mid and lower snowpack are settled and well bonded with the average snowpack depth at treeline 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 20-30 cm of fresh snow blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 15-20 cm of fresh snow blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm. These d</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">eep persistent weaknesses appear to be waking up with the warmer temperatures and several avalanches have recently released up to 2 m deep. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The region received 30-40 mm of precipitation on Thursday, which fell as rain in the valleys and as snow above 1500 m. The new snow should settle into a reactive storm slab at higher elevations. Beneath the new snow, you'll find a mix of hard old wind slabs, melt-freeze crusts and moist snow from the recent warm spell. Some weaknesses may still exist within the 90 cm of storm snow from last week; however, recent warming has likely helped strengthen these layers. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The region received 5-15 mm of precipitation on Thursday, which fell as rain in the valleys and as snow above 1800 m. Moderate to s</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">trong southwest winds are shifting these accumulations into reactive wind slabs in exposed high elevation terrain. Beneath the new snow, you'll find a mix of hard old wind slabs, melt-freeze crusts, and moist snow from the recent warm spell. Some weaknesses may still exist within the 90 cm of storm snow from last week; however, recent warming has likely helped to strengthen these layers. In deeper areas, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which comprises the bottom third of the snowpack. In shallow snowpack areas, this layer is weak, faceted, and has no structure. In these areas, snowpack test results and reports of whumpfing suggest large avalanches remain a concern at this interface. </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1350584585017033/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Watch this video from the South Rockies field team for some recent results on deeper facet layers.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A trace of new snow dusted the surface at treeline elevations over the day on Thursday, with wet flurries and rain continuing at lower elevations. This change follows rain which fell to 2000 m during the day on Wednesday. The mix of rain and new snow has landed on either wind slabs in the alpine or temperature crusts at treeline and below, especially on east and south aspects. Both of these surfaces will be good sliding layers for incoming snowfall.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring with additional loading (and warming this week), especially in the shallow, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the Duffey Lake area 25 cm of snow fell on Tuesday through to Thursday morning. Elevations below 1900 m saw mainly rain. In the south (Coquihalla) we had moderate southerly winds and heavy rain above 1600m on Tuesday night (and rain to 2000m during the day Wednesday). This rain (or snow higher up) landed on either wind slabs in the alpine or temperature crusts at treeline and below, especially on east and south aspects. Both of these surfaces will be good sliding layers for future snowfall. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm remain a concern especially in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, Hurley and/or South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant renewed attention after considerable warming and extra loading this week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled and stronger than it is to the north.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The region received another 10-20 cm of new snow on Thursday, adding to the healthy amounts of storm snow from last weekend. Strong winds likely shifted these accumulations into much deeper deposits at higher elevations. Below about 1000 m, rain has saturated and settled the snowpack. Beneath 70-100 cm of recent storm snow, you'll find a variety of old surfaces that were buried on February 10th. These include facets, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and well-developed surface hoar in sheltered locations. This interface has been reported to be most reactive at treeline where the surface hoar has been well-preserved. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The region received another 5-10 cm of new snow on Thursday. Strong winds likely shifted these accumulations into deeper deposits at higher elevation lee terrain. Below about 1000 m, rain has saturated and settled the snowpack. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 30-60 cm below the surface, you may find surface hoar which was buried on February 10th. There is a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this surface hoar layer throughout the region. I'd continue to test for this layer before committing to any steeper terrain. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but should be monitored, especially during periods of warmer temperatures. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 20-30 cm of fresh snow blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 10-15 cm of fresh snow blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 40-70 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and the</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the current warm temperatures. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Upwards of 45 cm of new snow lies at the surface as of Thursday afternoon. Below the new snow, recent warming and sunny conditions gave us a widespread sun crust on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. These crusts will act as excellent sliding surfaces for our new snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At the end of last week up to 30cm additional snow fell (mostly near Nelson), creating touchy storm slabs at all upper elevations and aspects. Slabs were reported as very reactive to human triggers and are sitting on a variety of surfaces; including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Snowpack tests near the Valhallas have given moderate, propagation-likely results down 50-70cms on the Feb 3rd interface. Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. It is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large, destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The warm weather has had a significant impact on the snowpack. Long term this will help, but for the time being the snowpack quality is marginal. Below treeline almost the entire snowpack is moist snow. The basal layers are still the dry facets that we've seen all year. Near treeline the snow has settled into a moist, dense layer that sits on the weak Feb 18th facets or hardslab from past wind events. Some whumphing and cracking was noted today, but the wet slab had more of a collapsing feel to it. The warm air hasn't reached the upper elevations yet. In upper treeline areas and alpine areas the surface snow has remained cool. Some wind transport was noted today, but not enough to create wind slabs.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Rain transitioned to light snowfall Thursday morning and deposited a trace of new snow on the surface. Below it, the 50-70 cm of snow we received last week was saturated by up to 140 mm of rain on Tuesday through Wednesday. So far, all has been bonding well to a knife hard crust buried Feb 3rd. Despite sudden planar results observed at this layer (down 70 cm) last weekend, instabilities at this interface are suspected to have largely subsided at this point. Exceptions to this assumption may exist in the alpine, where our most recent precipitation fell as snow. Here, storm slabs will have taken longer to settle out and may still harbour instability. To manage this uncertainty at higher elevations, dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers to see how the rain is affecting it. Aside from lingering upper snowpack concerns in the alpine, the mid and lower snowpack are settled and bonded at all elevations with the average snowpack depth at treeline around 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations. At lower elevations the snow surface is wet and cohesionless and should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At lower elevations the snow surface is wet and cohesionless and should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">30-40 cm of recent snow can be found above 1900 m, while lower elevations have a combination of moist snow and rain crusts as freezing levels fluctuate. Moderate southwest winds have redistributed the new snow into wind slabs in exposed terrain at high elevations. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable, but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-20 cm of new wind affected snow can be found above 1800 m, while lower elevations will have a combination of moist snow and rain crusts as freezing levels fluctuate. Moderate southwest winds</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> have redistributed the new snow into reactive wind slabs in exposed terrain. Beneath the new snow, you'll find a mix of hard old wind slabs, melt-freeze crusts, and moist snow from the recent warm spell. The midpack consists of 50-100 cm of settled snow from last weeks storm. In deep snowpack areas, the lower snowpack appear to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which comprises the bottom third of the snowpack. In shallow snowpack areas, this layer is weak and faceted. </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1350584585017033/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Watch this video from the South Rockies field team for some recent test results on this layer.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 40cm of new snow has been affected by strong southerly winds to form reactive storm slabs over hard, wind-affected snow (and crust on solar aspects) above about 1900 metres. These storm slabs form our primary avalanche hazard. Below this elevation, heavy rain saturated our lower treeline and below treeline elevations, leaving refrozen crust on the surface between 1900 to about 1500 metres and moist snow at the surface below that elevation. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. However, there remain a number of facet and crust layers (down 60-80cm in shallower areas) that are currently dormant but will require monitoring, especially in shallow, rocky areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 40-60 cm of new snow lies on the surface at alpine elevations. The upper half (approximately) of this new snow is dry and has seen substantial wind effect. Heavy, moist snow forms the lower half. These accumulations lie above old wind slabs at alpine elevations. Below about 1900 metres most of the initial precipitation from the storm fell as rain. This means that between about 1700-1900 metres, the later, drier snow overlies rain soaked snow. Below about 1700 metres precipitation mainly fell as rain and soaked the upper snowpack.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December facets down 130-160 cm remain a concern, mainly in shallower snowpack areas in the Duffey, the Hurley, and the South Chilcotins. These deeper weaknesses warrant renewed attention after considerable warming and extra loading this week. In southern areas (Coquihalla), the lower snowpack is reportedly well settled and much stronger than it is to the north.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-25 cm of recent snow sits above a rain crust and moist settling storm snow. Strong winds earlier in the week formed deeper deposits in exposed high elevation terrain. The February 10th interface is now buried 60-80 cm deep and consists of facets, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and surface hoar in sheltered locations. This interface is likely gaining strength, but may still be reactive in isolated areas at treeline where the surface hoar has been well-preserved. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern, especially in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-10 cm of recent snow sits above a rain crust and moist settling storm snow. Strong winds earlier in the week formed deeper deposits in exposed high elevation terrain. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 30-60 cm below the surface, you may find surface hoar which was buried on February 10th. There is a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this surface hoar layer throughout the region. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but should still be monitored.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At lower elevations the snow surface is wet and cohesionless and should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect to find 10-25 cm of fresh snow blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 40-70 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> and the</span><span class="s_3FE45715"> surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the current warm temperatures. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Upwards of 45 cm of new snow lies at the surface after Thursday's stormy weather. Below the new snow, a widespread sun crust exists on all but high northerly (and some westerly) aspects, where there is still some cold snow to be found. By the looks of Thursday's avalanche activity, this crust appears to have performed as an excellent sliding surface for our new snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Beneath the crust, approximately 20-30cm of storm snow from late last week lies over our February 3rd interface. Now down approximately 60-100 cm, this interface comprises a variety of surfaces, including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent snowpack tests and avalanche control suggest that this layer remains reactive in some areas. The Bonnington Range appears to be one of these areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than about 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. In these areas it is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-15cm of recent snow is now overlying a widespread temperature crust at lower elevations (up to 2000m) and likely up to 2400m on pure solar aspects. As you climb into the alpine this new snow has been blown into thin (20-30cm) thick storm slabs.  Field tests on Friday were showing these storm slabs to be unreactive to ski cutting but we werent willing to expose ourselves to larger slopes due to the weak faceteted basal layers down 100-120cm.  Warm temps are helping to settle out the snowpack and strengthen it but this process takes time.  We still have very little confidence in the stability of any large terrain feature and are continuing to limit our exposure to overhead terrain.  Good skiing was being found in sheltered areas at TL and below.  Field teams were not in alpine areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 20 cm of wet snow overlies a crust at treeline elevations and below. Below this crust, the 50-70 cm of snow we received last week is moist after being saturated with 140 mm of rain on Tuesday through Wednesday. So far, all has been bonding well to a knife hard crust buried February 3rd and previous instabilities at this interface are suspected to have largely subsided at this point. Exceptions to this assumption may exist in the alpine, where some of our recent precipitation fell as snow. Here, storm slabs will have taken longer to settle out and may still be unstable. To manage this uncertainty at higher elevations, dig down to test the bond of the more recent snow layers. Aside from lingering upper snowpack concerns in the alpine, the mid and lower snowpack are settled and bonded at all elevations with the average snowpack depth at treeline around 250-300 cm.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations. Below 1500m a frozen rain crust is mostly supportive, but up to 1800m it can be breakable. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At 2000m and below a melt-freeze crust can be found on almost all elevations and aspects. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect 10-20 cm of new snow on Sunday to form thin touchy wind slabs in exposed terrain. The new snow is burying 30 cm of settled storm snow at high elevations and a hard rain crust below 1900 m. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable, but isolated basal weaknesses may exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect light amounts of new snow on Sunday with moderate to strong southwest winds forming thin wind slabs in exposed terrain. The new snow sits above settled snow and hard rain crusts below 1900 m. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The midpack consists of 50-100 cm of settled snow from last week's storm. In deep snowpack areas, the lower snowpack appears to be well settled with only isolated concerns about the mid-December facet layer which comprises the bottom third of the snowpack. In shallow snowpack areas, this layer is weak and faceted. </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1350584585017033/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Watch this video from the South Rockies field team for some recent test results on this layer.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Above around 1900 m elevation, 10-20 cm of heavy powder overlies the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust, which extends as high as 2200 m. In the alpine, wind slabs and cornices were being reported on northerly aspects. Below around 1900 m, the surface crust is reported to be supportive to the weight of skier. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the Duffey above around 1800 m elevation, 20 cm of heavy powder overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer. Wind slabs and cornices are being reported in north facing alpine terrain. Below around 1800 m, the surface crust is reported to be supportive to the weight of a skier. Two surface hoar layers down 100 cm and 150 cm are still reactive in snowpack tests but would be very difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Outflow winds are forming wind slabs on a variety of aspect in exposed terrain. A total of 15-25 cm of recent snow sits above a rain crust and moist settling storm snow. The February 10th interface is now buried 60-80 cm deep and consists of facets, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and surface hoar in sheltered locations. This interface is gaining strength, but may still be reactive in isolated areas at treeline where the surface hoar has been well-preserved. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally strong and well settled. The exceptions are shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-10 cm of recent snow sits above a rain crust and settling storm snow. Strong winds earlier in the week formed deeper deposits in exposed terrain at higher elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 30-60 cm below the surface, you may find surface hoar that was buried on February 10th. There's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer throughout the region. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches that released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but should still be monitored.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding poorly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs near ridge crests. Below 1600m the moist snow has frozen to give a breakable (10cm thick in places) crust: Not much fun riding I'm afraid. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-90 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect to find 10-25 cm of fresh snow blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations, and moist snow or breakable crust below 1500m. Rapidly settling storm snow (40-60cm) from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the recent warm temperatures.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">30-40 cm of new snow overlies the mid-February crust layer.&nbsp; By the looks of Thursday's avalanche activity, this crust appears to have performed as an excellent sliding surface for our new snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Beneath the crust, approximately 20-30cm of storm snow from late last week lies over our February 3rd interface. Now down approximately 60-100 cm, this interface comprises a variety of surfaces, including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. Recent snowpack tests and avalanche control suggest that this layer remains reactive in some areas. The Bonnington Range appears to be one of these areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Areas with a shallower snowpack (less than about 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. In these areas it is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-15cm of recent snow is now overlying a widespread temperature crust at lower elevations (up to 2000m) and up to 2400m on more solar aspects. As you climb into the alpine this new snow has been blown into thin (20-30cm) thick storm slabs. Field tests on Friday and Saturday were showing these new wind slabs to be unreactive to ski cutting but we werent willing to expose ourselves to larger slopes due to the weak faceteted basal layers down 100-120cm. Warm temps are helping to settle out the snowpack and strengthen it but this process takes time. We still have very little confidence in the stability of any large terrain feature and are continuing to limit our exposure to overhead terrain. Good skiing was being found in sheltered areas at TL and below. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the alpine, up to 25 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February rain crust. At lower elevations, the crust is likely on the surface and is expected to be supportive to the weight of a skier. Below the crust, the snowpack is likely moist or wet as a result of the heavy rain from last week. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (5-20cm) over the weekend with moderate southeasterly winds in some locations. Expect to find 25-40 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations. Below 1500m a frozen rain crust is mostly supportive, but up to 1800m it can be breakable. Storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (5-15cm) over the weekend with light winds. Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding slowly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. At 2000m and below a melt-freeze crust can be found on almost all elevations and aspects. Storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries will add to 20 cm of recent snow that is settling into a thin but reactive storm slab. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries will add to 5-10 cm of recent snow with moderate to strong southwest winds forming deeper deposits and wind slabs. The new snow sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m. A stiff midpack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This deep persistent weakness is primarily a concern in shallow snowpack areas.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1350584585017033/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Watch this video from the South Rockies field team for some recent test results on this layer.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 20-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust, which extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. The recent storm snow is reported to be bonding well to the crust. In the alpine, wind slabs and cornices were being reported on northerly aspects. Below around 2000 m, the crust is at or near the surface of the snowpack and is reported to be supportive to the weight of skier. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-20 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer. Wind slabs and cornices were being reported in high north facing alpine terrain. Below around 1800 m, the crust is at or near the snow surface and is reported to be solid and supportive to the weight of a skier. Two facet/surface hoar layers in the north of the region down 100 cm and 150 cm are still reactive in snowpack tests but would be very difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (5-20cm) over the weekend with light winds. At higher elevations expect to find 25-40 cm of more recent snow slowly bonding to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs near ridge crests. Below 1600m the moist snow has frozen to give a (sometimes) breakable (10cm thick in places) crust: Not much fun riding I'm afraid. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-90 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had little change over the weekend with only about 3-5cm new snow. Expect to find 10-25 cm of more recent snow blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations, and moist snow or breakable crust below 1500m. Settling snow (40-60cm) from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 30-40 cm of recent snow overlies a series of crust layers from mid-February. Recent reports suggest this snow is generally well bonded to the crust. On high north aspects, a layer of surface hoar from mid-February below the recent snow may still be reactive. In exposed terrain, recent southerly winds have scoured the new snow down to the crust and formed wind slabs in leeward features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February interface is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This interface comprises a variety of surfaces, including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests but is becoming difficult to trigger. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. In these areas it is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">An average of 10-20cm of recent snow is now overlying a widespread temperature crust up to 2000m and up to 2400m on solar aspects.  In the Alpine, you can find thin storm slabs(up to 30cm thick).  Just below this temperature crust, there is a well settled upper snowpack still sitting on a weak faceted basal layer (down approx. 100-120cm).  This weak basal layer is still giving the forecasters little confidence in exposing ourselves to large terrain overhead.  Good skiing was found in open areas at treeline and below.&nbsp; </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the alpine, up to 25 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February rain crust. Reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust. At lower elevations, the crust is likely on or near the surface of the snowpack and is expected to be supportive to the weight of a skier. Below the crust, the snowpack is likely moist or wet as a result of the heavy rain from last week. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had modest snowfall amounts (15-25cm) over the weekend with moderate southeasterly winds in some locations. Expect to find 35-50 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations. In some areas of the Monashees, snow pack tests are giving easy sudden planar results on southerly aspects around 2000m on the Feb 15th surface hoar layer (down 45cm) above a sun crust.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below 1500m a frozen rain crust is mostly supportive, but up to 1800m it can be breakable. Storm snow from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (5-20cm) over the weekend with moderate southeasterly winds in some locations. Expect to find 25-40 cm of fresh snow bonding slowly to buried surface hoar and/or a sun crust, and blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At 2000m and below a melt-freeze crust can be found on almost all elevations and aspects. Storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 200 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Forecast snow and strong southwest winds are expected to add to the 30 cm of storm snow that already exists. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Forecast new snow and wind may develop new storm slabs. These new storm slabs may add to the recent snow that sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m. A stiff midpack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This deep persistent weakness is primarily a concern in shallow snowpack areas.</span><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/avcansouthrockies/videos/1350584585017033/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">Watch this video from the South Rockies field team for some recent test results on this layer.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow accumulated Sunday overnight. At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust is now typically down 30-60 cm. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. The recent storm snow is reported to be bonding well to the crust. In the alpine, wind slabs and cornices were recently being reported on northerly aspects. Below around 1900 m, the crust is at or near the surface of the snowpack and is reported to be supportive to the weight of skier. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 15-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer. Recent reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust.&nbsp; Wind slabs and cornices were recently being reported in high north facing alpine terrain. Below around 1800 m, the crust is at or near the snow surface and is reported to be solid and supportive to the weight of a skier. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February down 60-100 cm is still reactive in snowpack tests but would be very difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Overcast skies and a couple of cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried overnight or early Monday morning. Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (10-20cm) over the weekend with moderate southerly winds in some locations. At higher elevations expect to find 25-50 cm of more recent snow slowly bonding to buried surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into deep wind slabs near ridge crests. Below 1600m the moist snow has frozen to give a (sometimes) breakable (10cm thick in places) crust: Not much fun riding I'm afraid. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 70-110 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had little change over the weekend with only about 5-10cm new snow in most areas (20cm of low density snow near Blue River). Expect to find 15-25 cm of more recent snow blown into deep wind slabs at higher elevations. Lower down there's moist snow or supportive crust below 1700m. Settling snow (40-60cm) from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 50-80 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 30-40 cm of recent snow overlies a series of crust layers from mid-February. Recent reports suggest this snow is generally well bonded to the crust. On high north aspects, a layer of surface hoar from mid-February may sit below the recent snow and may still be reactive. In exposed terrain, recent southerly winds have scoured the new snow down to the crust and formed wind slabs in leeward features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February interface is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This interface comprises a variety of surfaces, including scoured surfaces in wind exposed terrain, surface hoar (size 2-3 mm) in sheltered locations, and sun crust on steep solar aspects. This layer is still reactive to snowpack tests but is becoming difficult to trigger. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. In these areas it is possible for storm slab avalanches to step-down to these deeper weak layers, resulting in large avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15cm of new snow in the past 24hrs, brings recent storm snow totals to 20 to 25cm at Treeline. The storm snow has minimal wind effect below 2500m, and overlies a temperature crust on all aspects below 2100m, and up to 2300m on solar aspects. Moist snow on solar aspects by early in the afternoon. Snow profile at Treeline today confirms a dense midpack overlying a very weak base. Snowpack stability tests indicate a concerning failure within the basal weak layers. Although these results were in the 'hard' range, the possibility for a full depth avalanche is very real.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-30 cm of new snow accumulated Sunday overnight on the North Shore mountains. At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February rain crust is now likely down around 50 cm. Reports suggest the recent snow is well bonded to the crust. Below the crust, the snowpack is likely still moist or wet as a result of the heavy rain from last week. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had modest snowfall amounts (15-30cm) over the past several days, with moderate southeasterly winds in some locations. Expect to find 35-50 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried Feb 15th surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into wind slabs at higher elevations. In some areas of the Monashees, snow pack tests are giving easy sudden planar results on southerly aspects around 2000m on the Feb 15th surface hoar layer (down 45cm) above a sun crust.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below 1500m a frozen rain crust is mostly supportive, but up to 1800m it can be breakable. Storm snow from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (5-20cm) over the past several days (and higher amounts in the south) with moderate southerly winds in some locations. Expect to find 25-40 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried Feb 15th surface hoar and/or a sun crust, and blown into wind slabs at higher elevations. Storm snow from previous weeks is still bonding poorly to the Feb 3rd surface hoar / sun crust layer, which is now down 60-80 cm. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At 2000m and below a melt-freeze crust can be found on almost all elevations and aspects. The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 180 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">There is now 50-60 cm of storm snow that is expected to settle into a storm slab. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Limestone ridge today there was 15 cm of new storm snow at 2100 metres elevation. The height of snow on the ground was 160 cm and the foot penetration was 20 cm. The December facets were down 70 cm at this location and produced hard sudden collapse compression test scores in snow profile tests. This elevation is above the extent of the recent rain crust that extends up to about 1900 metres. A deeply buried weak layer of facets (sugary snow) continues to be a concern in most areas of the region. If triggered this deep weak layer may result in very large avalanches down to near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust is now typically down 20-40 cm. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. The recent storm snow is reported to be bonding well to the crust. Reports from Monday suggests the recent storm snow is now faceting with the current cold temperatures and new surface hoar is forming. In the alpine, wind slabs and cornices were previously being reported on high northerly aspects but these are expected to have gained considerable strength over the past couple days of cold temperatures. Below 1150 m, the snow surface was reported to be wet on Monday.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 10-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer. Recent reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust. Wind slabs and cornices were previously being reported in high north facing alpine terrain </span><span class="s_3FE45715">aspects but these are expected to have gained considerable strength over the past couple days of colder temperatures</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February down 60-100 cm was recently reactive in snowpack tests but would be very difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Overcast skies and a couple of cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried overnight or early Monday morning. Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15 cm of recent storm snow has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts totalling 10-30cm over the past several days, with moderate southerly winds in some locations. At higher elevations expect to find 25-50 cm of more recent snow slowly bonding to buried Feb 14th surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into wind slabs near ridge crests. Below 1600m the moist snow has frozen to give a (sometimes) breakable crust that is 10cm thick in places, making for tricky riding. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had little change over past several days with 1-5cm new snow each day in most areas (and some spots receiving 15cm low density snow). Expect to find 15-35 cm of newer snow blown into wind slabs at higher elevations, most recently by some moderate southeast winds. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At lower elevations there's moist snow or supportive crust below 1700m. Settling snow (40-60cm) from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 50-80 cm. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 30-50 cm of recent snow typically overlies a series of crust layers from mid-February. Recent reports suggest this snow is generally well bonded to the crust. On high north aspects, a layer of surface hoar from mid-February may sit below the recent snow and may still be reactive. In exposed terrain, recent southerly winds have scoured the new snow down to the crust and formed wind slabs in leeward features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At Burstall Pass the recent snow has settled to 20cm with total depths approaching 2m. In places this new snow is a very soft slab that has been reactive in the past 24 hours. Beneath the new snow, the mid pack is well settled and gets progressively harder as you move down in the snowpack. The deeper layers are a mix of weak facets and depth hoar. There were repeatable failures(CTH22, SC) in the facet layer, down 50-70cm. This failure was difficult to initiate, however we expect this layer is weaker and easier to trigger in thin areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February rain crust is now down around 30-50 cm. Recent reports suggest the recent snow is well bonded to the crust. Below the crust, the snowpack is likely still moist or wet as a result of the heavy rain from last week.&nbsp; Moderate southerly wind during the storm may have formed wind slabs at ridge crests. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had modest snowfall amounts (15-30cm) over the past several days, with moderate southeasterly winds in some locations. Expect to find 35-50 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried Feb 15th surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into wind slabs at higher elevations. In some areas of the Monashees, snow pack tests are giving easy sudden planar results on southerly aspects around 2000m on the Feb 15th surface hoar layer (down 45cm) above a sun crust.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below 1500m a frozen rain crust is mostly supportive, but up to 1800m it can be breakable. Storm snow from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 60-80 cm. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts (10-25cm) over the past several days (and some higher amounts in the south) with moderate southerly winds in some locations. Expect to find 25-40 cm of more recent snow bonding slowly to buried Feb 15th surface hoar and/or a sun crust, and blown into wind slabs at higher elevations. Storm snow from previous weeks is still bonding poorly to the Feb 3rd surface hoar / sun crust layer, which is now down 60-80 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At 2000m and below a (supportive) melt-freeze crust can be found on almost all elevations and aspects. The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A persistent weakness buried mid January is now down 80-150 cm and the November crust is down around 180 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">There is now 50-60 cm of storm snow that is expected to settle into a storm slab. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. If the winds shift direction over the next few days, watch for new wind loading on south-west aspects.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Near Elkford on Wednesday there was 20 cm of storm snow above a melt/freeze crust that developed from the rain last weekend. The height of snow was 170 cm and there was about 100-120 cm of settled snow above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests resulted in a hard shear in this location where the facets were sitting on a hard wind crust. Recent slope testing did not show any results. Some loose snow had released naturally from steep unsupported terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust is now typically down 20-40 cm. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. The recent storm snow is reported to be bonding well to the crust, but professionals in areas with deeper storm snow amounts are being cautious with this assumption. Reports from Monday also suggest that the storm snow is now faceting with the current cold temperatures and that new surface hoar is forming. Recent cornice failures have been reported on high northerly aspects but cornices are generally expected to have gained considerable strength over the past couple days of cold temperatures. Wind slabs at higher elevations are expected to diminish in reactivity over the coming days, but should be treated with continued caution while the potential for human triggering still exists.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 10-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer. Recent reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust. Recent cornice and wind slab releases have been reported in high north facing alpine terrain, </span><span class="s_3FE45715">but both cornices and wind slabs are expected to have gained considerable strength over the past couple days of colder temperatures</span><span class="s_AA239A9B">. The potential for human triggering wind slabs will remain a concern over the short term. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February down 60-100 cm was recently reactive in snowpack tests but would be very difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Overcast skies and a couple of cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried early Monday morning. Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15 cm of recent storm snow has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had minor snowfall amounts each day for the past several days, totalling 20-40cm with moderate southerly winds in some locations. At higher elevations expect to find 25-50 cm of more recent snow slowly bonding to buried Feb 14th surface hoar and/or a crust, and blown into wind slabs near ridge crests. Below 1600m the moist snow has frozen to give a (sometimes) breakable crust that is 10cm thick in places, making for tricky riding.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas but may be faceted and weaker in shallower areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-December surface hoar/facet persistent weakness can now be found down roughly 150 cm. It has become inactive in the south of the region, but may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">  </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had little change over past several days with 1-5cm new snow each day in most areas (and some spots receiving 15cm low density snow). Expect to find 15-35 cm of newer snow blown into wind slabs at higher elevations, most recently by some moderate southeast winds.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The sun is starting to pack a punch and can trigger loose snow avalanches mid-day. The sun is also creating a thin crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At lower elevations there's moist snow or supportive crust below 1700m. Settling snow (40-60cm) from last week is still bonding slowly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 50-80 cm.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 30-50 cm of recent snow overlies a series of crust layers from mid-February. Recent reports suggest this snow is generally well bonded to the crust. On high north aspects, a layer of surface hoar from mid-February may sit below the recent snow and may still be reactive. In exposed terrain, recent southerly winds have scoured the new snow down to the crust and formed wind slabs in leeward features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We have up to 20cm of recent snow.  This snow has minimal wind effect below 2500m and overlies a temperature crust on all aspects below 2100m and up to 2300m on solar aspects.  A  strong mid to upper pack overlies a weak base at all elevations. The weak basal facets and depth hoar make up the bottom 70cm of the snowpack at all elevations which gives us little confidence in large terrain if an avalanche is triggered.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February rain crust is now down around 30-50 cm. Recent reports suggest the recent snow is well bonded to the crust. Below the crust, the snowpack is likely still moist or wet as a result of the heavy rain from last week. Moderate southerly wind during the storm may have formed wind slabs at ridge crests. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Although reports suggest the snow is gradually bonding to this interface, it has produced some sudden snowpack test results and reactive ski cuts, suggesting it could potentially become a lingering persistent weak layer. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallower areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 10-25 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow from previous weeks is still bonding poorly to the February 3rd surface hoar / sun crust layer, which is now down 60-80 cm. A persistent weakness buried mid January is about a metre deep and the November crust is about 1.5 metres deep. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">There is now 50-60 cm of storm snow that is expected to settle into a storm slab. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. If the winds shift direction over the next few days, watch for new wind loading on south-west aspects.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the Crowsnest North on Thursday there was 15 cm of new snow, and 35 cm of recent storm snow above various old surfaces. The winds were reported to have been light from the west, and there was not a lot of evidence of wind transport. Near Elkford on Wednesday there was 20 cm of storm snow above a melt/freeze crust that developed from the rain last weekend. The height of snow was 170 cm and there was about 100-120 cm of settled snow above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests resulted in a hard shear in this location where the facets were sitting on a hard wind crust. Recent slope testing did not show any results. Some loose snow had released naturally from steep unsupported terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent cool temperatures have resulted in 3-5 mm surface hoar growth on the snow surface, as well as surface faceting. Melt-freeze crusts have been reported on steep solar aspects. Below the surface, roughly 20-40 cm of recent storm snow lies above the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. The recent storm snow is reported to be bonding well to the crust, but professionals in areas with deeper storm snow amounts (up to 50cm) are being cautious with this assumption. Recent cornice failures have been reported on high northerly aspects but cornices are generally expected to have gained considerable strength over the past couple days of cold temperatures. Wind slabs at higher elevations are expected to diminish in reactivity over the coming days, but should be treated with continued caution while the potential for human triggering still exists.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 10cm of new snow fell in the south of the region on Thursday night. Elsewhere, the current snow surface consists of surface facets and surface hoar to 6 mm, as well as sun crust on steep solar aspects. Beneath the surface, 10-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer at higher elevations. Recent reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February down 60-100 cm remains reactive in snowpack tests but would be difficult to trigger without something heavy like a cornice fall or smaller avalanche stepping down. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Overcast skies and a couple of cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried early Monday morning. Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15 cm of recent storm snow has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 20-40 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Although reports suggest the snow is gradually bonding to this interface, it has the potential to become a lingering persistent weak layer. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallower areas. The deep mid-December facet layer may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south slopes. A supportive crust can be found at lower elevations (up to about 1700 m). Settling snow (40-60 cm) from last week is still bonding slowly to the early February surface hoar and facet interface. The persistent weakness from mid-January is now down about a metre and the weak facets buried in mid-December are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At higher elevations, 30-50 cm of recent snow overlies a series of crust layers from mid-February. Recent reports suggest this snow is generally well bonded to the crust. On high north aspects, a layer of surface hoar from mid-February may sit below the recent snow and may still be reactive. In exposed terrain, recent southerly winds have scoured the new snow down to the crust and formed wind slabs in leeward features. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Flurries have left us with 5-10cm of new snow on the Spray and as much as 15cm closer to the divide. This new snow is settling fast on solar aspects at all elevations. On steep solar aspects there is a buried suncrust (feb 17th) down 20-30cm. Beneath this snow, the upper pack remains well settled with denser slabs as the 50cm depth is reached. Immediately below this settled upper pack is the much weaker basal layers. This layer varies between 30-50cm and is a dog's breakfast of crusts, facets and depth hoar. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Scattered convective flurries recently deposited up to 3cm of graupel on the snow surface in some areas of the South Coast. Below it, the snow surface is a mix of sun crust on solar aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. At higher elevations, the widespread mid-February rain crust is now down around 30-50 cm, below our recent storm snow. This recent snow is reportedly well bonded to the crust. The crust itself is supportive and roughly 20cm thick. Below the crust, the snowpack is still moist as a result of the heavy rain from last week. Moderate southerly wind during the storm may have formed wind slabs at ridge crests. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The the mid-February interface is now buried 20-40 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Although recent reports suggest the snow is gradually bonding to this interface, it has produced some sudden snowpack test results and reactive ski cuts. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 10-25 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow from previous weeks is still bonding poorly to the February 3rd surface hoar / sun crust layer, which is now down 60-80 cm. A persistent weakness buried mid January is about a metre deep and the November crust is about 1.5 metres deep. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers. (See MIN post above).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">There is now 50-60 cm of storm snow that is expected to settle into a storm slab. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. If the winds shift direction over the next few days, watch for new wind loading on south-west aspects.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In Elk Valley North on Friday, there was 3cm of new snow and 18 cm of light dry recent storm snow. The mid-pack in this location was well settled, but the bottom third of the snowpack was weak facets. Snow profile tests produced a moderate compression test that released in a sudden planar fashion down 75 cm on the facetted crystals. In the Crowsnest North on Thursday there was 15 cm of new snow, and 35 cm of recent storm snow above various old surfaces. The winds were reported to have been light from the west, and there was not a lot of evidence of wind transport. Near Elkford on Wednesday there was 20 cm of storm snow above a melt/freeze crust that developed from the rain last weekend. The height of snow was 170 cm and there was about 100-120 cm of settled snow above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests resulted in a hard shear in this location where the facets were sitting on a hard wind crust. Recent slope testing did not show any results. Some loose snow had released naturally from steep unsupported terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Flurries over Thursday night deposited 1-5 cm of new snow on the surface. Moderate southwesterly winds accompanied the snowfall, making a small contribution to our upper elevation wind slab problem. Below our thin new snow accumulations, recent cool temperatures resulted in up to 5 mm surface hoar growth on the previous snow surface, as well as surface faceting. Sun crusts have also recently been reported to be forming on steep solar aspects. Below the new snow interface, roughly 20-40 cm of recent storm snow appears to be bonding well the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. Below this crust the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Convective flurries have delivered a spotty 5-20 cm of new snow to the region over the past couple of days, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the south. Below the new snow, the previous snow surface consisted of surface facets and surface hoar to 6 mm, as well as sun crust on steep solar aspects. Beneath this new snow interface, 10-30 cm of recent snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer at higher elevations. Recent reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February down 60-100 cm remains reactive in snowpack tests and is suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley area. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Overcast skies and a couple of cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried early Monday morning. Clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at treeline elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15 cm of recent storm snow has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The mid-February interface is now buried 20-40 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is gradually bonding to this interface, but it has the potential to become a lingering persistent weak layer. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Blue River and Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. The persistent weakness from mid-January is now down about a metre and the weak facets buried in mid-December are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Solar radiation has created a sun crust on steep solar aspects while surface hoar has been observed at up to 15 mm on shaded aspects. Below these surfaces, 30-50 cm of recent snow overlies a (February 18) sun crust on solar aspects, with around 70 cm overlying a widespread (February 10) melt-freeze crust on shaded aspects. Recent variable winds have promoted wind slab formation in this storm snow on a range of aspects in wind-exposed terrain and in some areas scoured the new snow down to the crust. Below the wind effect, reports suggest the storm snow is generally well bonded to the underlying crust layers.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent storm snow has settled to an average of 20cm deep, with very little wind effect in most areas below 2500m. On steep solar aspects there is a buried suncrust (Feb 17th layer) down 20-30cm. Beneath this, the upper snowpack remains well settled with denser slabs as the 50cm depth is reached. The basal layers are alive and well and vary between 30-50cm thick, and is a dog's breakfast of crusts, facets and depth hoar. Snowpack stability tests today indicate a sudden collapse failure within the basal layers in the moderate range. These tests were done in a slightly shallower morainal feature, and indicate the possibility of full-depth avalanches if the &quot;sweet spot &quot; is triggered.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 15 cm of new snow fell over the South Coast region over Thursday night, with average new snow amounts closer to 5 cm. In some areas, the new snow overlies up to 3cm of recent graupel accumulation. Below the new snow and graupel, the previous snow surface is a mix of sun crust on solar aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will take some time to form. Older storm snow can be found below the new snow interface and it is reportedly well bonded to the widespread mid-February rain crust, now found down around 40-60 cm at higher elevations. The crust itself is supportive and roughly 20cm thick. Below the crust, the snowpack is still moist as a result of heavy rain from last week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 20-40 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The the mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface, although it has produced some sudden snowpack test results and reactive ski cuts. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 10-25 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations and sun crusts forming on south-facing slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd interface (50-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells and the mid-January interface in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be a reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20 to 40 cm of storm snow from Saturday night now rests upon the 50 to 60 cm of storm snow from last week. This 70 to 100 cm is likely settling into a storm slab in sheltered locations, and is almost certainly forming a wind slab in wind affected terrain. This slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. If the winds shift direction over the next few days, watch for new wind loading on south-west aspects.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In Elk Valley North late last week, up to 20cm of light dry storm snow fell. The mid-pack in this location is well settled, but the bottom third of the snowpack is weak facets. Snow profile tests produced moderate compression tests that released suddenly down 75 cm on the facetted crystals. In the Crowsnest North late last week up to 35 cm of recent storm snow lies above various old surfaces. Near Elkford up to 20 cm of storm snow sits above a melt/freeze crust. Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests indicate hard shears in this location where the facets are sitting on a hard wind crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Flurries over the past couple of days have deposited 1-5 cm of new snow on the surface. Below any thin new snow accumulations, recent cool temperatures formed up to 5 mm surface hoar on the previous snow surface. The same low temperatures have been responsible for faceting at the snow surface and in the upper snowpack. Sun crusts exist beneath the skiff of new snow on steep solar aspects below about 1700 metres, with a more widespread temperature crust found below about 1500 metres. Below the new snow interface, roughly 20-40 cm of recent (faceting) storm snow appears to be bonding well the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. Below this crust the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Convective flurries have delivered a spotty 5-20 cm of new snow to the region over the past couple of days, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the south. Below the new snow, the previous snow surface consisted of surface facets and surface hoar to 6 mm, as well as sun crust on steep solar aspects. Beneath the new snow interface, 10-30 cm of recent storm snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer at higher elevations. Reports suggest this snow is well bonded to the crust but has been undergoing faceting as a result of recent cold temperatures. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February, down 60-100 cm, remains reactive in snowpack tests and is suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley area. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A recent addition of up to 5cm of new snow has not changed the snowpack structure since the weekend. A new layer of surface hoar may have been buried early Monday morning. Recent clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15-25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30-60 cm deep at tree line elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-15 cm of storm snow accumulating last week has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5-10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30-60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 20-40 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations and sun crusts on steep south-facing slopes. The mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer may still be lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Light flurries over the past few days delivered 15-30 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts on steep south slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak facets buried in mid-December are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to wake up and become reactive with human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Solar radiation has created a sun crust on steep solar aspects while surface hoar has been observed at up to 15 mm on shaded aspects. Below these surfaces, 30-50 cm of recent snow overlies a (February 18) sun crust on solar aspects, with around 70 cm overlying a widespread (February 10) melt-freeze crust on shaded aspects. Recent variable winds have promoted wind slab formation in this storm snow on a range of aspects in wind-exposed terrain and in some areas scoured the new snow down to the crust. Below the wind effect, reports suggest the storm snow is generally well bonded to the underlying crust layers.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 80-100 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 150 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Not a lot of change in the last 24hrs. There has been no new snow and the snowpack has settled slightly in the last day. The winds did pick up today causing some snow transport in the alpine, but not enough to negatively impact the avalanche hazard. A buried suncrust is evident at low elevations and solar slopes up to 2200m. The basal layers remain the main concern and tend to be down 80-100cm from the surface.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Up to 15 cm of new snow fell over the South Coast region over Thursday night, with average new snow amounts closer to 5 cm. In some areas, the new snow overlies up to 3cm of recent graupel accumulation. Below the new snow and graupel, the previous snow surface is a mix of sun crust on solar aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The new snow's bond to these surfaces will take some time to form. Older storm snow can be found below the new snow interface and it is reportedly well bonded to the widespread mid-February rain crust, now found down around 40-60 cm at higher elevations. The crust itself is supportive and roughly 20cm thick. Below the crust, the snowpack is still moist as a result of heavy rain from last week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Flurries delivered another 5-15 cm of low density snow on Saturday night, bring recent totals to 20-40 cm (with the largest amounts in the Monashees). A pulse of moderate winds from a variety of directions formed fresh wind slabs at higher elevations. The the mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Flurries delivered another 2-5 cm of low density snow on Saturday night, bring recent totals from the last week up to 15-40 cm. A pulse of moderate winds from a variety of directions formed fresh thin wind slabs at higher elevations. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd interface (40-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells and the mid-January interface in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be a reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">20 to 40 cm of cold, light density storm snow fell Saturday night. At this time, observations show very little wind activity. However, it won't take much more than a breeze to form wind slabs in exposed terrain over the next few days. This recent storm snow rests on an older wind/storm slab formed last week that is approximately 50 to 60 cm in depth which may still be sensitive to human triggering. This older slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Saturday night the region picked up 2 to 20 cm, with the Castle area being the clear winner. This storm snow rests upon last weeks ageing storm slab. The mid-pack in this region is well settled, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets. Recent snow profile tests have produced failures with moderate input that released suddenly down 75 cm on the facetted crystals. In the Crowsnest North late last week up to 35 cm of recent storm snow lies above various old surfaces. Near Elkford up to 20 cm of old storm snow sits above a melt/freeze crust. Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests indicate hard shears in this location where the facets are sitting on a hard wind crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Flurries over the past couple of days have deposited 1-5 cm of new snow on the surface. Strong northwesterly winds on Sunday morning have redistributed this and other loose snow at the surface, likely forming a few thin new wind slabs in lee terrain. Below any new snow accumulations, recent cool temperatures formed up to 5 mm surface hoar on the previous snow surface. The same low temperatures have been responsible for faceting at the snow surface and in the upper snowpack. Sun crusts exist beneath the skiff of new snow on steep solar aspects below about 1700 metres, with a more widespread temperature crust found below about 1500 metres. Below the new snow interface, roughly 20-40 cm of recent (faceting) storm snow appears to be bonding well the widespread mid-February melt-freeze crust. This crust extends as high as 2200 m and is up to 15 cm thick at treeline. Below this crust the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and bonded.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Scattered flurries delivered a variable 10-35 cm of new snow to the region over Thursday to Saturday night, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the south of the region. Recent southwest winds have been noted blowing the new snow into wind slabs in lee terrain in the north of the region, leading to easy whumphing and cracking observed at ridgetop in the Duffey Lake area on Sunday. Below the new snow, the previous snow surface consisted of surface facets and surface hoar to 6 mm, as well as sun crust on steep solar aspects. Beneath the new snow interface, 10-30 cm of recent storm snow overlies the widespread mid-February crust layer, now down roughly 20-60 cm at higher elevations. Reports suggest this storm snow is well bonded to the crust but has been undergoing faceting as a result of recent cold temperatures. In the north of the region, a facet/surface hoar layer from early February, down 60-100 cm, remains reactive in snowpack tests and is suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley area. In the south of the region, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A recent addition of up to 10 cm of new snow has not dramatically changed the snowpack structure, but Saturday night's storm buried a new layer of surface hoar. At this time it is unknown how well preserved this surface hoar is. Recent clear cold weather and shifting winds have created a variety of surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15 to 25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30 to 60 cm deep at tree line elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10 to 20 cm of storm snow accumulating in the last week has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5 to 10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30 to 60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Flurries delivered another 5-15 cm of low density snow on Saturday night, bring recent totals to 20-40 cm (with the largest amounts in the Monashees). A pulse of moderate winds from a variety of directions formed fresh wind slabs at higher elevations. The mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is generally bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A recent dusting of new snow came with moderate winds that has likely left thin reactive winds slabs at higher elevations. Light flurries over the past week have delivered a total of 15-30 cm of low density snow, while sun crusts have formed on steep south slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak facets buried in mid-December are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to be reactive with human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow accumulated in the region over Saturday night, burying recently formed sun crust on steep solar aspects as well as surface hoar that has been observed at up to 15 mm on shaded aspects. Below the new snow interface, 30-50 cm of recent storm snow overlies a (February 18) sun crust on solar aspects, with around 70 cm overlying a more widespread (February 10) melt-freeze crust on shaded aspects. Variable winds have promoted wind slab formation in this storm snow on a range of aspects in wind-exposed terrain and in some areas scoured it down to the above mentioned crusts. Below the wind effect, reports suggest the storm snow is generally well bonded to the underlying crust layers.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The early-February surface hoar layer is now down approximately 90-120 cm. This layer was reactive during the warm storm last week but now appears to have gone dormant. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a layer of sugary facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The forecasters were up in the Black Prince area today digging a profile at tree line. There is about 50cm snow overlying a thin crust which is producing easy test results in our snow pit today. We also found that the bottom half of the snowpack consisted of facets and depth hoar. Upon more tests, we got the entire column to fail on the basal depth hoar 35cm off the ground. All in all, good skiing but it is difficult to travel on steeper slopes for the fact that if the slope is triggered at a weak spot, the entire snowpack could avalanche.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 5-20 cm of new snow from Thursday and Saturday lies on the surface in the region. Recent northerly winds are suspected to have redistributed some of the new snow into wind slabs in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below the new snow, the previous snow surface was a mix of sun crust on solar aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The new snow's bond to these surfaces is beginning to strengthen, with snowpack tests producing resistant and inconsistent results on Saturday on the North Shore. The older storm snow found below the new snow interface is well bonded to the widespread mid-February rain crust, now down around 40-60 cm at higher elevations. The crust itself is supportive and roughly 20cm thick. Below the crust, the snowpack is still moist as a result of heavy rain in mid-February.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries delivered 10-20 cm with some moderate winds forming thin wind slabs on a variety of aspects at higher elevations. The new snow has buried a sun crust and spotty surface hoar layer and will sluff easily in steep terrain. The the mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries delivered 5 cm of new snow to the northern part of the region and up to 15 cm in the southern part of the region. A pulse of moderate winds from a variety of directions formed fresh wind slabs at higher elevations. The mid-February interface is now buried 20-40 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd interface (40-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells and the mid-January interface in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be a reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 40 cm of cold, light density storm snow fell Saturday night with little wind. This recent storm snow rests on an older wind/storm slab that formed last week that is approximately 50 to 60 cm in depth and may still be sensitive to human triggering. This older slab sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. Smaller avalanches may have the potential to step down to those weaker layers waking up the deep persistent slab problem. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of storm snow fell on Saturday night, with Castle Mountain being the clear winner. This storm snow sits on last weeks ageing storm slab. The mid-pack in this region is well settled, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary crystals). Recent snow profile tests have produced moderate failures that released suddenly down 75 cm on the facetted crystals. In the Crowsnest North late last week up to 35 cm of recent storm snow lies above various old surfaces. Near Elkford up to 20 cm of old storm snow sits above a melt/freeze crust. Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests indicate hard shears in this location where the facets are sitting on a hard wind crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong northerly winds have been redistributing 10-30cm of recent storm snow, into soft slabs as deep as 65 cm, which are poorly bonded to a weakening crust that extends into alpine elevations. In exposed alpine areas, winds have scoured down to this crust, which formed mid-February. Low temperatures have been responsible for faceting at the snow surface and in the upper snowpack. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-35 cm of recent snow (with the greatest accumulations in the Cascades) has been blown into touchy wind slabs by southwest an more recent northeasterly winds, which are bonding poorly to facets and buried surface hoar, as well as crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. Reports from the Duffy Lake area on Sunday include easy whumphing and cracking observed at ridge top. The widespread mid-February crust can be found down 20-60cm and seems to be well-bonded, although it has been faceting and weakening recently. In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down 60-100 cm and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A recent addition of up to 10 cm of new snow has not dramatically changed the snowpack structure, but Saturday night's storm buried a new layer of surface hoar which will get buried deeper after tomorrows snowfall. At this time it is unknown how well preserved this surface hoar. A variety of surface conditions exist including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (15 to 25 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th can be found buried 30 to 60 cm deep at tree line elevations and has been reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 20 cm of storm snow accumulating in the last week has been transported by the wind, and now sits on a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, pockets of soft snow (5 to 10 cm deep), sun crusts, and surface hoar. A supportive rain crust exists below 1000 m. A layer of </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30 to 60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent flurries delivered 10-20 cm with some moderate winds forming thin wind slabs on a variety of aspects at higher elevations. The new snow has buried a sun crust and spotty surface hoar layer. The mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New wind slabs have formed on a variety of aspects in alpine terrain thanks to shifting wind directions. Light flurries over the past week have delivered a total of 15-30 cm of low density snow, while sun crusts have formed on steep south slopes. The recent snow has buried the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-20 cm adds to the 5-20 cm of snow from the weekend that buried a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes and large surface hoar shaded aspects. Below that a variety of aspect- and elevation-dependant crusts and buried surface hoar layers may be found in the upper snowpack, with the predominant mid-February surface hoar/sun crust weakness down 75-100 cm. Variable winds have formed fresh wind slabs on a range of aspects in wind-exposed terrain, and in some areas scoured down to the above mentioned crusts. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">1cm of new snow overnight. Fresh thin wind slabs have formed at Treeline and above. A test profile in the Ten Bowl area today revealed a 165cm deep snowpit with the entire bottom 100cm consisting of very weak facets and depth hoar. Moderate compression test results were found down 25 to 30cm. Moderate to hard test results occurred down 60 to 70cm within the facets, indicating the possibility for an avalanche to step down to the weak basal layers. The current snowpack structure is very concerning, and despite the recent lack of natural avalanches human triggering of a very large avalanche is possible.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent northerly winds have likely redistributed 5-20 cm of recent storm snow into wind slabs in lee terrain at higher elevations. Below the new snow, the previous snow surface was a mix of sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The bond to this previous surface is beginning to strengthen, with snowpack tests producing resistant and inconsistent results on Saturday on the North Shore. The widespread 20 cm thick mid-February rain crust, is now down around 40-60 cm at higher elevations. Below the crust, the snowpack is still moist as a result of heavy rain in mid-February.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Wednesday morning, new snow and extreme winds are expected to have formed fresh wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine</span><span class="s_1681A555">. </span><span class="s_3FE45715">About 30-50cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Wednesday morning, new snow and extreme winds are expected to have formed fresh wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine. About 20-40 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (40-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells, and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be a reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 40 cm overnight!! Since Saturday a total of 93 cm of cold, light density storm snow has fallen with little wind effect. This new snow has buried a plethora of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, old wind slab and a sun crust on solar aspects. This new snow also sits on a thick rain crust below 1900 m and a generally well settled snowpack. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. Smaller avalanches may have the potential to step down to those weaker layers waking up the deep persistent slab problem. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20 cm overnight bringing the recent storm snow totals up to 50 cm since Saturday. The new storm snow will likely be redistributed to leeward slopes, building fresh wind slabs. The mid-pack in this region is well settled, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary crystals). Recent snow profile tests have produced moderate failures that released suddenly down 75 cm on the facetted crystals. In the Crowsnest North up to 45 cm of recent storm snow lies above various old surfaces. Near Elkford up to 30 cm of old storm snow sits above a melt/freeze crust. Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary facets that developed during the cold spell in December. Snow profile tests indicate hard shears in this location where the facets are sitting on a hard wind crust.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Previous winds have either deposited snow in lee areas, with a few stubborn wind slabs, or scoured down to a mid-February crust. Cold temperatures have faceted the top 20 cm of the snowpack where it wasn't wind hammered. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. The forecast shift in the weather means new wind slabs and storm slabs will be forming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-35 cm of snow from the weekend is reportedly bonding poorly to facets and buried surface hoar, as well as crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. Reports from the Duffy Lake area on Sunday include easy whumphing and cracking observed at ridge top. The widespread mid-February crust can be found down 20-60cm and seems to be well-bonded, although is reportedly weakening. In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down 60-100 cm and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades (e.g. Coquihalla), the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. Forecast new snow is likely to arrive with strong SW winds and warming temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent storm snow 10-20 cm has fallen and buried a new surface hoar layer. Im uncertain of how well preserved this layer is and if it is widespread. The new snow has also buried a variety of old surface conditions including isolated wind slabs, sun crusts, and facetted snow. At lower elevations (below 1000 m) a supportive rain crust exists. Deeper in the snowpack 30-60 cm down a layer of surface hoar was buried on February 10th at tree line elevations and continues to be reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong. The exception is shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow 5- 15 cm is slowly burying a plethora of old snow surfaces including isolated wind slabs and wind press, sun crusts, and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces. A layer of surface hoar that was buried on February 10th may exist 30 to 60 cm below the surface, but there's a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this layer. A stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. Although possibly dormant, this basal weakness has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches especially in shallower snowpack areas. Below 1000 m a strong supportive rain crust exists</span><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Wednesday morning, new snow and extreme winds are expected to have formed fresh wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">By Wednesday morning, new snow and extreme winds are expected to have formed fresh wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine About 30cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. The reactivity of this layer is unknown, but it's worth keeping an eye on as it gets loaded by more snow. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow accumulations of 30 to 50 cm from the past few days are reported through the region with deepest amounts in eastern areas. Wind slabs have formed in exposed areas from shifting SW to NW winds. More snow and wind is forecast. Recent snow rests on a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes and large surface hoar shaded aspects. Below that are a variety crusts and thin surface hoar layers, depending on aspect and elevation, with the primary mid-pack feature being the mid-February surface hoar/sun crust down 75-100 cm. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A flight around the area today gave us a good look at the snow conditions. In general we are still seeing a low elevation snowpack that is well settled up top, but weak deeper down. There are two apparent crusts in the top layers, but neither of which pose a problem yet.  This deep weakness is a widespread problem. Treeline and alpine elevations has had a few cm's of snow with not a lot of wind effect. Some transport was noted, but most of it was localized and of little consequence. At these upper elevations, the problem layers are down almost a meter. Some near surface slabs exist as do buried sun crusts on solar aspects. Unlike the low elevation, these crusts may be a concern in steep terrain.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below the 20 cm of recent snow, the previous snow surface was a mix of sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects with bonds beginning to strengthen. The widespread 20 cm thick mid-February rain crust, is now down around 40-60 cm at higher elevations. Below the crust, the snowpack is well settled and strong. Forecast incoming snow (starting Tuesday overnight) suggests at higher elevations there will be fresh wind slabs on north and east facing slopes, and when there is more than 20 cm of new snow also expect to find storm slabs on steeper slopes, even where wind protected.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide-ranging 10-37 cm of new snow fell over the region over Tuesday night, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the eastern Monashees. The new snow has buried fairly widespread faceted surface snow as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 40-80cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-15 cm of new snow fell over the region over Tuesday night, burying widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar recently reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects in some areas. About 25-55 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (40-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells, and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be a reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 36 cm overnight of low density storm snow with accumulations up to 93 cm since Saturday. Strong ridgetop winds are likely transporting the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. This new snow continues to bury a plethora of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, old wind slab and a sun crust on solar aspects and it also sits above a thick rain crust below 1900 m. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20 cm of low density storm snow arrived overnight bringing the recent snow totals up to 50 cm since Saturday. Strong southwesterly winds will likely transport the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow may have a poor bond to previous old snow surfaces that primarily consist of stiff wind slabs, crusts and facets. The mid-pack in this region is generally well settled and strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed mid- December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar especially when change is happening to the snowpack. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">As of Wednesday morning, much of the region received 10-20cm of fresh snow accompanied by southwesterly winds, which has blanketed previously wind-affected surfaces (e.g. scoured crust, hard sastrugi, or stubborn wind slabs) in exposed areas, or around 20 cm of faceted snow in sheltered areas. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. The forecast shift in the weather means new wind slabs and storm slabs will be forming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 15-25 cm of fresh snow adds to the 10-35 cm of snow from the weekend that is bonding poorly to facets and buried surface hoar, as well as crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. Reports from the Duffy Lake area on Sunday include easy whumphing and cracking at ridge top. The widespread mid-February crust can be found down 40-80cm and seems to be well-bonded, although is reportedly weakening. In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down around a metre and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades (e.g. Coquihalla), the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. Forecast new snow is likely to arrive with strong SW winds and warming temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent storm snow 20-50 cm has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slab and a melt/ freeze crust below 1600 m. The deeper storm snow amounts exist in the Shames/ Terrace area with less accumulations further North and East. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to these older surfaces. Deeper in the snowpack 60-90 cm down a layer of surface hoar was buried on February 10th at tree line elevations and continues to be reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">New snow 5- 15 cm accompanied by strong- extreme SW winds is burying a plethora of old snow surfaces including isolated wind slabs and wind press, sun crusts, and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces. At treeline elevations the average snowpack depths are 150-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden results down 100 cm within the facetted snow. Although possibly a low probability for triggering the persistent slab exists, the consequence would be high as it has the potential to produce very large destructive avalanches especially in shallower snowpack areas. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-30 cm of new snow fell over Tuesday night, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the Monashees just east of Revelstoke. The snowfall was accompanied by strong southerly winds, which promoted wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-February interface is now buried 40-80 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 10-15cm of new snow fell over the region Tuesday night, accompanied (and affected) by strong overnight winds. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, as well as surface hoar recently reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. A thin sun crust may also exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 40cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. The reactivity of this layer is unknown, but it's worth keeping an eye on as it gets loaded by more snow. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-20cm adds to the 30 to 50 cm from the past few days with deepest amounts in eastern areas. Wind slabs have formed in exposed areas from shifting SW to NW winds and more snow and wind is forecast. Recent snow rests on a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes and large surface hoar shaded aspects. Below that are a variety crusts and thin surface hoar layers, depending on aspect and elevation, with the primary mid-pack feature being the mid-February surface hoar/sun crust down 75-100 cm. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The winds picked up last night and created new windslabs on north to south aspects. These start to show up at treeline and continue up to alpine elevations. In the high alpine the winds were/are strong enough to strip the snow completely. Lots of wind transport indicates that immediate lee terrain and cross loaded gullies will be primed. Treeline and below has felt the cold. Facetting has weakened existing slabs and has started to break down the various crusts from a week ago. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-25cm of fresh snow adds to the 15-20 cm of recent snow, sitting on a mix of sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects with bonds beginning to strengthen. However, southwesterly winds have likely deposited deep and touchy wind slabs in exposed terrain. The widespread 20 cm thick mid-February rain crust, is now down around 50-60 cm at higher elevations. Below the crust, the snowpack is well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Ongoing snowfall has delivered a wide-ranging 25-60 cm of new snow to the region, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the Monashees. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried widespread faceted surface snow as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 50-100cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Ongoing snowfall has delivered roughly 10-20 cm of new snow to the region, burying widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar recently reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects in some areas. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting the formation of touchy wind slabs in lee areas at upper elevations. About 30-60 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (40-80 cm deep) in the southern Purcells, and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A metre of low density storm snow has fallen in the past week burying a variety of old now surfaces including surface hoar, facets (sugary snow), stiff wind slabs, sun crust on solar aspects and a widespread rain crust below 1900 m. The recent storm snow is reportedly showing a poor bond to these older snow surfaces. Strong winds from the SW are likely transporting the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs and promoting large cornice growth. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 17 cm of low density storm snow arrived overnight bringing the recent snow totals up to 67 cm in the past week. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to previous old snow surfaces that consist of stiff wind slabs, crusts and facets. Strong southwesterly winds is redistributing the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The mid-pack in this region is generally well settled and strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed mid- December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar especially when change is happening to the snowpack. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20-50 low density fresh snow is bonding poorly to previously wind-affected surfaces (e.g. scoured crust, hard sastrugi, or stubborn wind slabs) in exposed areas, or around 20 cm of faceted snow in sheltered areas.  Strong southerly winds have scoured wind-exposed slopes and deposited deep drifts on lee aspects. A crust from mid-February is below all this, down around 50-70cm. Recent snowpack tests have been giving moderate sudden results in facets above this crust. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Much of the region received 30-50cm of fresh snow since the weekend, which has been blown into deep drifts by southerly winds and is bonding poorly to facets and buried surface hoar, as well as crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. The widespread mid-February crust is below all this. In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down around a metre and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades (e.g. Coquihalla), the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. Forecast new snow is likely to arrive with strong SW winds and warming temperatures.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent storm snow 40-100 cm has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slab and a melt/ freeze crust below 1600 m. The deeper storm snow amounts exist in the Shames/ Terrace area with less accumulations further North and East. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to these older surfaces. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent low density storm snow up to 25 cm has fallen with surprisingly little wind effect. The new snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces. At treeline elevations the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the facetted snow. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially from thin rocky start zones and shallower snowpack locations. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Ongoing snowfall has delivered a wide-ranging 15-45 cm of new snow to the region, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the Monashees. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-February interface is now buried roughly 50-90 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Ongoing snowfall has already brought 15-30cm of new snow to the mountains, and more is on the way. The new snow has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted the formation of touchy wind slabs in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, as well as surface hoar recently reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. A thin sun crust may also exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 50cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. The reactivity of this layer is still being monitored, and it's worth keeping an eye on as it gets loaded by more snow. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">30-60cm in the past few days brings the total to 50-100cm since the weekend, which is bonding poorly to a sun crust on previously sun-exposed slopes, or facets and large surface hoar shaded aspects. Wind slabs have formed in exposed areas from shifting SW to NW winds and more snow and wind is forecast. A variety crusts and thin surface hoar layers, in the upper snowpack are becoming more of a concern with this increased load. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Continued moderate to strong SW winds are building the wind slabs in the alpine and open areas at tree line.  Lee features and cross loaded gullies are very loaded and touchy.  With the forecasted snow and continued winds, the likelihood of triggering an avalanche is increasing.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A snow profile was dug today at tree line at Burstall Pass showing us that the lower half of the snowpack is weak consisting mostly of depth hoar.  Test results indicated failure in the depth hoar 75cm off the ground.  This is a concern as there is a well settled snowpack above this weak layer and if triggered from a weak spot, there could be a very large avalanche.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Much of the region received around 50cm of of fresh snow over the past couple of days, which is bonding poorly to a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Fluctuating temperatures have likely resulted in weaknesses within this recent storm snow and southwesterly winds have likely deposited deep and touchy wind slabs in exposed terrain. The mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Stormy weather since Tuesday night has delivered a wide-ranging 40-85 cm of new snow to the region, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the Monashees. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried widespread faceted surface snow as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 65-120cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer could develop into a persistent slab problem once the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Stormy weather since Tuesday night has delivered a wide ranging 10-30 cm of new snow to the region, burying widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar recently reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects in some areas. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting the formation of touchy wind slabs in lee areas at upper elevations. About 30-70 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (40-90 cm deep) in the southern Purcells, and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 100 cm deep). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A metre of low density storm snow has fallen in the past week. This new snow continues to settle into a denser slab which sits over a variety of old now surfaces including surface hoar, facets (sugary snow), stiff wind slabs, sun crust on solar aspects and a widespread rain crust below 1900 m. The recent storm snow is reportedly showing a poor bond to these older snow surfaces. Strong winds from the SW are redistributing some of the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker, stiffer slabs and promoting large cornice growth. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas. These weak areas appear to be on north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 14 cm of low density storm snow arrived overnight bringing the recent snow totals up to 80 cm in the past week. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to previous old snow surfaces that consist of stiff wind slabs, crusts and facets. Strong southwesterly winds is redistributing the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The mid-pack in this region is generally well settled and strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above the weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed mid- December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with continued forecast snow and strong winds potentially overloading the weakness.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">20 to 60cm of low density fresh snow is bonding poorly to previously wind-affected surfaces (e.g. scoured crust, hard sastrugi, or stubborn wind slabs) in exposed areas, or around 20cm of faceted snow in sheltered areas. Strong south/southwesterly winds have scoured wind-exposed slopes and deposited deep drifts on lee aspects. A crust from mid-February is below all this, down around 50 to 70cm. Recent snowpack tests have been giving moderate sudden results in facets above this crust. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Much of the region received 30 to 70cm of fresh snow this week, which has been blown into deep drifts by southerly winds and is bonding poorly to facets and buried surface hoar, as well as crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. The widespread mid-February crust is below all this. In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down around a metre and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades (e.g. Coquihalla), the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent storm snow up 100 cm has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slab and a melt/ freeze crust below 1600 m. The deeper storm snow amounts exist in the Shames/ Terrace area with less accumulations further North and East. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to these older surfaces. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent low density storm snow up to 25 cm has fallen with surprisingly little wind effect. The new snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. At treeline elevations the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the facetted snow. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially from thin rocky start zones and shallower snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Ongoing snowfall has delivered a wide-ranging 30-65 cm of new snow to the region, with the greatest accumulations occurring in the Monashees. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The mid-February interface is now buried roughly 65-110 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer is still lingering in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Ongoing snowfall has brought 30-50 cm of new snow to the mountains since Tuesday night, and more is on the way. The new snow has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted the formation of touchy wind slabs in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, as well as surface hoar recently reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. A thin sun crust may also exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 60-80cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Reports from Thursday suggested this layer became reactive at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">30 to 80cm of snow has fallen in the last week, which is bonding poorly to a sun crust on previously sun-exposed slopes, or facets and large surface hoar on shaded aspects. Wind slabs have formed in exposed areas from winds out of the NW and now SW, with continued snow and wind forecast for Friday night and Saturday. A variety of crusts and thin surface hoar layers in the upper snowpack are becoming more of a concern with this increased load. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground. There are a number of great MIN reports from Thursday and Friday here: http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network/submissions/</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-15cm new snow overnight at treeline elevations. This initially came with moderate, gusty winds which faded away during the day today. That has given very soft storm slabs in exposed, immediate lee areas. There was some cracking today in freshly wind loaded areas, however the slabs weren't stiff enough to get going. Looking ahead, the winds aren't done yet, so more slab development is expected. As for the the alpine, storm slabs will be found on all lee (N-E aspects) slopes. They will become more and more active as the storm goes on. Likewise, cornices have grown throughout the day. Below treeline is not too concerning at the moment, but the additional load will add up. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mountains of the South Coast received 30 to 70 cm of snow Thursday night adding to the 50 cm accumulated over the last few days. This storm slab is bonding poorly to a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Widespread whumphing and shooting cracks were reported at and below treeline on Friday. Fluctuating temperatures have likely resulted in weaknesses within this recent storm snow and southwesterly winds have likely formed deep and touchy wind slabs in exposed terrain. The mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Stormy weather since Tuesday night has delivered a wide-ranging 65-120 cm of new snow to the region, with the greatest accumulations initially occurring in the Monashees and more recently in the eastern Selkirks. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting touchy wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried widespread faceted surface snow as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. A thin sun crust may exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 90-135cm below the surface you'll find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has been producing inconsistent and broken results in snowpack tests but recent avalanche activity suggests it is still an active failure plane, especially over the crust at lower elevations. It may well develop into a persistent slab problem as the snow above it settles into a stiffer slab. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Stormy weather since Tuesday night has delivered a wide ranging 25-70 cm of new snow to the region, with the bulk of the new snow arriving over Friday night and blanketing localized pockets with up to 40 cm of new snow. The new snow has buried widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects before the storm. Moderate to strong southerly winds have accompanied the new snow, promoting the formation of touchy wind slabs in lee areas at upper elevations. Now a highly variable 40-100 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Several deeper weak layers remain a concern including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (50-130 cm deep), and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 130 cm deep). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20 cm of snow fell on Friday, bringing the three day storm total to roughly 80 cm and the weekly total to almost 150 cm. Strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow and formed large brittle cornices. The new snow is rapidly settling into a denser slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m. Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas and appear to isolated to north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 15 cm of new snow on Friday brings the three day total to 20-30 cm and the total from the past week to 40-80 cm. Strong southwesterly winds have redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets. The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong winds out of the south/southwest have taken the 20 to 70cm of recent storm snow and formed it into a reactive slab. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 20 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. This slab is currently bonding poorly to the old surface which includes scoured crust, hard sastrugi, stubborn wind slabs and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. Just below this interface is the mid-February crust which remains active. This crust is 50 to 80cm below the surface on average, it should be easy to find and test in your profiles. Recent snowpack tests continue to show sudden results in facets above this crust. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds out of the south/southwest have taken the 30 to 70cm of recent storm snow and formed it into a reactive slab. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 15 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. This slab is currently bonding poorly to the old surface which includes scoured crust, hard sastrugi, stubborn wind slabs and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. Just below this interface is the mid-February crust which remains active. This crust is 50 to 80cm below the surface on average, it should be easy to find and test in your profiles. Recent snowpack tests continue to show sudden results in facets above this crust. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried early February, is now down around a metre and remains reactive in snowpack tests. It is also suspected as the failure plane in at least one of two recent large persistent slab avalanches in the Hurley Pass area. In the Cascades (e.g. Coquihalla), the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">60-80 cm of recent storm snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. The storm snow has been very reactive on this interface including widespread whumpfing and cracking in flat terrain. Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Recent low density storm snow up to 25 cm has fallen with some wind effect at higher elevations. The new snow buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. At treeline elevations the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the faceted snow. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide-ranging 45-100 cm of new snow has blanketed the region since Tuesday night, with the greatest accumulations initially in the Monashees and more recently in the eastern Selkirks. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted touchy wind slab formation in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas, as well as thin sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The depth of the mid-February interface is now highly variable at anywhere from 70-140 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Ongoing snowfall has brought 45-70 cm of new snow to the region since Tuesday night. The new snow has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which has promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs in lee terrain at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, as well as surface hoar reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region previous to the storm. A thin sun crust may also exist below the new snow on steep solar aspects. About 75-100 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Reports from Thursday suggested this layer became reactive at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are down about a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A wide-ranging 35 to 100cm of snow has fallen in the last week. The snowfall was initially accompanied by strong northwest winds, though these have since shifted to the SW. These winds have promoted the formation of touchy storm and wind slabs in lee areas at higher elevations. The new snow has been bonding poorly to a sun crust on previously sun-exposed slopes, as well as faceted surface snow and large surface hoar on shaded aspects. A variety of crusts and thin surface hoar layers in the upper snowpack have been an increasing concern as new snow and wind have loaded the upper snowpack. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground. There are a number of great MIN reports from Thursday and Friday here: http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network/submissions/</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We have had up to 50cm of snow in the alpine in the last few days. Wind associated with this snowfall is creating storm slabs in the alpine and open areas (in places, these wind slabs may be buried). Cross loaded features and lee pockets can have significantly more snow creating even deeper storm slabs. Cornices are growing and have the potential to wake up deeper layers if they break off. Human triggered avalanches are very likely right now. Sheltered and non-exposed areas can provide good skiing.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds out of the south/southwest have taken the 30 to 100cm of recent storm snow and formed it into a reactive slab. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 20 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. Fluctuating temperatures have likely resulted in weaknesses within this recent storm snow too. This slab is currently bonding poorly to the old surface that includes a sun crust on southerly aspects, and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Below this interface is the mid-February crust which may remain active. This crust has been reported to have facets above it, and should be easy to find and test in your profiles.&nbsp; The mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has delivered a wide-ranging 65-120 cm of new snow to the region. Moderate to strong southerly winds accompanied the new snow, promoting touchy storm slab formation at all elevations. The new snow has buried widespread faceted surface snow, thin sun crust on steep solar aspects, as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. About 90-135cm below the surface you'll find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches. Its reactivity has been especially prominent over the crust at lower elevations. Any continuing activity at this interface will likely see it emerge as a persistent weak layer. Below it, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has delivered a wide ranging 25-70 cm of new snow to the region, with the bulk of the new snow arriving over Friday night and blanketing localized pockets with up to 40 cm. The new snow has buried widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects before the storm. Moderate to strong southerly winds accompanied the new snow, promoting the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. Multiple reactive shears have recently been reported within this recent storm snow. Now roughly 40-90 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep solar aspects. Several deeper weak layers also remain a concern, including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (50-130 cm deep), and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 130 cm deep). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 20 cm of snow fell on Friday, bringing the three day storm total to roughly 80 cm and the weekly total to over 120 cm. Strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow and formed large brittle cornices. </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The new snow came in &quot;upside down&quot; (heavier, denser snow over lighter snow) and is rapidly settling into a slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m. </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas and appear to isolated to north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 5-15 cm of new snow fell on Saturday-Sunday, bringing the total from the past week to 40-80 cm. Strong southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong winds out of the south/southwest have taken the 25 to 75cm of recent storm snow and formed it into a reactive slab. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 20 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. This slab is bonding poorly to the late February persistent weak layer which includes scoured crust, hard sastrugi and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. Just below this interface is the mid-February crust which remains active. This crust is 50 to 80cm below the surface on average, it should be easy to find and test in your profiles. Recent snowpack tests continue to show sudden results in facets above this crust. The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Strong winds out of the south/southwest have taken the 30 to 70cm of recent storm snow and formed it into a reactive persistent slab. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 15 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. This slab is bonding poorly to the late February persistent weak layer which includes an old crust, hard sastrugi, and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. Just below this interface is the mid-February crust. This crust is 50 to 100cm below the surface on average and was very active in the Coquihalla over the weekend with avalanches running naturally on it to size 3.5. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">In the northern part of the region, a facet/surface hoar weakness buried in early February is more than a meter below the snow surface. There were not any observations of avalanches running on this interface over the weekend, but it was reactive in snowpack tests as recently as last week.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 5-10cm of low density snow falling Saturday overnight into Sunday has brought recent storm snow totals to 60-85 cm. All this snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. The storm snow has been very reactive on this interface resulting in widespread whumpfing and cracking in flat terrain, and sudden, propagation-likely test results. </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had up to 6cm of snow Saturday overnight into Sunday, bringing recent storm snow totals to 15-45 cm. In some areas wind effect at higher elevations resulted in wind slabs on east and north aspects. The new snow buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the faceted snow. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has blanketed the region in wide-ranging 45-100 cm of new snow. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas, as well as thin sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The depth of the mid-February interface is now highly variable at anywhere from 70-140 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Just under a week of stormy weather has blanketed the region in 45-70 cm of new snow. The snowfall was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, thin sun crust on steep solar aspects, as well as surface hoar reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region previous to the storm. About 75-100 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports have suggested greater reactivity on this layer at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are now down a metre or slightly more and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A wide-ranging 35 to 100 cm of snow has fallen in the past week. The new snow is rapidly settling into a denser slab which sits over a variety of old interfaces including sun crusts, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Winds shifted from the northwest to the southwest during the storm, forming thicker deposits in lee areas at higher elevations. The new snow also has the potential to wake up the mid-February crust layer buried about a metre deep on solar aspects and at lower elevations. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground. </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network/submissions/" target="_blank"><span class="s_9255B882">There are a number of great MIN reports from Thursday and Friday here.</span></a><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The storm has ended and dropped up to 60cm of snow in the alpine.  Wind was associated with this storm creating storm slabs at ridge lines and lee features.  Cornices have grown with this last storm and have the potential to wake up deeper layers if they break off.  Sheltered and non-exposed areas are providing good skiing.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Over the weekend strong winds out of the south/southwest formed fresh wind slabs with the 75 to 170cm of snow that has fallen in the last week. Recent observations suggest this slab ranges from 20 to 100cm in depth throughout the region, but it could easily be twice that deep on lee features at and above treeline. We usually see rapid settlement and bonding on the coast, but this slab is still bonding poorly to the the late February persistent weak layer that is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects, and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Below this interface is the mid-February crust which was active in a natural avalanche cycle on March 3rd. This crust has been reported to have facets above it.&nbsp; It should be easy to find and test in your profiles, look for it around 75 to 125cm below the surface.. The mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has delivered a wide-ranging 65-120 cm of new snow to the region. Moderate to strong southerly winds accompanied the new snow, promoting touchy storm slab formation at all elevations. The new snow has buried widespread faceted surface snow, thin sun crust on steep solar aspects, as well as more isolated surface hoar to 4mm. About 90-135cm below the surface you'll find the mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches. Its reactivity has been especially prominent over the crust at lower elevations. Any continuing activity at this interface will likely see it emerge as a persistent weak layer. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has delivered a wide ranging 25-70 cm of new snow to the region, with the bulk of the new snow arriving over Friday night and blanketing localized pockets with up to 40 cm. The new snow has buried widely reported faceted surface snow as well as surface hoar reported at about 3mm on shaded aspects before the storm. Moderate to strong southerly winds accompanied the new snow, promoting the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. Multiple reactive shears have recently been reported within this recent storm snow. Now roughly 40-90 cm below the surface you'll likely find </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he mid-February interface which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep solar aspects. Several deeper weak layers also remain a concern, including the February 3rd surface hoar layer (50-130 cm deep), and the mid-January surface hoar layer in the northern Purcells (about 130 cm deep). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-20 cm of snow fell on Sunday into Monday, bringing the weekly total to over 115 cm. Strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow and formed large brittle cornices.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The new snow came in &quot;upside down&quot; (heavier, denser snow over lighter snow) and is rapidly settling into a slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas and appear to isolated to north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had another 15-25 cm of snow since Saturday, bringing the total from the past week to 50-80 cm. Strong southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">15-20 cm of new snow on Sunday brings the typical storm total to 50-80 cm since last Wednesday. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming wind slabs up to 150 cm thick. The new snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may sit quite close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind crust and hard sastrugi in wind-exposed terrain, and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends into the lower alpine, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest a poor bond between the recent snow and these weak layers. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">10-20 cm of new snow on Sunday brings the typical storm total to 40-70 cm since last Wednesday in the north of the region and to over 1 m in the south of the region. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming thick wind slabs. The new snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region and the mid-February layer is most reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 5-10cm of low density snow falling for each of the past few days, which has brought recent storm snow totals to 65-90 cm. All this snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The storm snow has been very reactive on this interface, resulting in widespread whumpfing and cracking in flat terrain. Moreover, we've had reports of sudden, propagation-likely test results down 50-85 cm on weak facets or the late-February crust / surface hoar.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had up to 6cm of snow since Saturday, bringing recent storm snow totals to 15-45 cm. In some areas wind effect at higher elevations resulted in wind slabs on east and north aspects. The new snow buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the faceted snow. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Just under a week of stormy weather has blanketed the region in wide-ranging 45-100 cm of new snow. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow as well as isolated surface hoar recently reported at up to 4mm in sheltered areas, as well as thin sun crust on steep solar aspects.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The depth of the mid-February interface is now highly variable at anywhere from 70-140 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Just under a week of stormy weather has blanketed the region in 45-70 cm of new snow. The snowfall was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at upper elevations. The new snow has buried faceted surface snow, thin sun crust on steep solar aspects, as well as surface hoar reported in sheltered areas in some parts of the region previous to the storm. About 75-100 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February interface, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports have suggested greater reactivity on this layer at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are now down a metre or slightly more and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10 cm on Sunday brings the typical weekly storm total to 40-70 cm. This snow is rapidly settling into a denser slab which sits over a variety of old interfaces including sun crusts, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Winds shifted from the northwest to the southwest during the storm, forming thicker deposits in lee areas at higher elevations. The new snow also has the potential to wake up the mid-February crust layer which is buried about a metre deep and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 1.5 m) generally have a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent storm snow totals now average 50cm at Treeline. Storm slabs have formed in lee and cross-loaded features in the Alpine and at Treeline and seem prime for human-triggering in many areas. Cornices are large and several failures have occurred in recent days. Extensive wind transport at ridge-crest.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">15-30 cm of new snow on Sunday brings the typical storm total 1 m or more since last Wednesday. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming thick wind slabs. The new snow overlies the late-February interface that is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The recent snow appears to be bonding poorly to this layer and with the cold conditions, the weakness is expected to persist longer than normal for the region. Below this interface is the thick mid-February crust/facet layer which woke up during the natural avalanche cycle on Friday. Below this crust, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide-ranging 65-120 cm of fresh snow has fallen in the past week, which is bonding poorly to widespread faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as more isolated small buried surface hoar. Moderate to strong southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. A persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down about 90-135cm and composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches. Its reactivity has been especially prominent over the crust at lower elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide ranging 40-100 cm of fresh snow has fallen in the past week, which is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar. Moderate to strong southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. Below this is </span><span class="s_1681A555">t</span><span class="s_3FE45715">he persistent weakness buried mid-February, which is now down 60-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust up to about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects. Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (70-130 cm deep), and mid-January (over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells ). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another day, another 10-20 cm of snow falling: The weekly total now stands at roughly 130 cm. At times, strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow and formed large brittle cornices.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Over the weekend the new snow came in &quot;upside down&quot; (heavier, denser snow over lighter snow) and is rapidly settling into a slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas and appear to isolated to north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had daily snowfalls of 5-10cm since Saturday, bringing the total from the past week to 50-80 cm. At times, strong southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 10-15 cm Monday overnight brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 60-100 cm. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming wind slabs up to 150 cm thick. This recent snow has settled into a slab that overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may sit quite close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind crust and hard sastrugi in wind-exposed terrain, and up to 20cm of facets in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends into the lower alpine, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, surface hoar in sheltered areas, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest a poor bond between the recent snow and these weak layers. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 10-15 cm Monday overnight brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 50-70 cm in the north of the region and to over 1 m in the south of the region. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming thick wind slabs. The new snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region and the mid-February layer is most reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 5-10cm of low density snow falling for each of the past few days, which has brought recent storm snow totals to 70-100 cm. All this snow has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The storm snow remains very reactive on this interface, resulting in widespread whumpfing and cracking in flat terrain. Moreover, we've had reports of sudden, propagation-likely test results down 50-85 cm on weak facets or the late-February crust / surface hoar.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had up to 10cm of snow since Saturday, bringing recent storm snow totals to 15-45 cm. In some areas wind effect at higher elevations resulted in wind slabs on east and north aspects. The new snow buried a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the faceted snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide-ranging 45-100 cm of fresh snow has fallen in the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. The snowfall has been accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 70-140 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">45-70 cm of new snow fell in the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. The snowfall was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at upper elevations. About 75-100 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports have suggested greater reactivity on this layer at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are now down a metre or slightly more and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-15 cm on Monday brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 50-80 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the late-February interface which includes sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Strong southwest wind over the weekend redistributed some of this storm snow forming thicker deposits in leeward terrain at higher elevations. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 80-120 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still a concern which could wake up in the future with heavy loading or a major warming event.&nbsp; In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is well settled and stable below this crust layer.&nbsp; However, areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 1.5 m) have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Variable new snow amounts overnight with some areas getting up to 10cm. Variable wind effect in Alpine and open areas at Treeline. Cornices are large and several failures have occurred in recent days. The mid-pack remains supportive, but the basal weak layer persist.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 30-70 cm of snow fell in the North Shore mountains on Tuesday bringing the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 100-200 cm. Recent winds have been from a variety of directions and wind slabs should be expected on all aspects. The recent snow overlies the late-February interface that is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. The recent snow appears to be bonding poorly to this layer and with the cold conditions, the weakness is expected to persist longer than normal for the region. Below this interface is the thick mid-February crust/facet layer which woke up during the natural avalanche cycle on Friday but now appears to be dormant. Below this crust, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 60-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as more isolated small buried surface hoar. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. A persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down about 90-135cm and composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches. Its reactivity has been especially prominent over the crust at lower elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A wide ranging 50-100 cm of fresh snow has fallen in the past week, which is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 60-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects. Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (80-140 cm deep), and mid-January (over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells ). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another day, another 10-15 cm of snow falling: The weekly total now stands at roughly 130 cm. At times, strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow and formed large brittle cornices.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Over the weekend the new snow came in &quot;upside down&quot; (heavier, denser snow over lighter snow) and is rapidly settling into a slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Isolated basal weaknesses may still exist in shallow snowpack areas and appear to isolated to north-northeast aspects in the alpine.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had daily snowfalls of 5-15cm since Saturday, bringing the total from the past week to 50-80 cm. At times, strong southwesterly winds redistributed the new snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker and stiffer slabs. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to the old snow interface that consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Moderate to strong southwest wind Tuesday night redistributed the most recent storm snow forming new wind slabs in leeward terrain at higher elevations. Another 10-15 cm on Tuesday brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 60-100 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-February weak layer which consists of facets and/or surface hoar overlying a thick crust. In wind loaded terrain, this layer may be down 150 cm or more. Recent observations suggest this layer is still reactive and capable of producing wide propagations if triggered. We have been in an incremental loading scenario over the past week and this layer has not yet been fully tested. Expect it to wake up during the storm on Friday. Below the crust layer, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 10-20 cm on Tuesday brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 50-70 cm in the north of the region and to over 1 m in the south of the region. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain forming thick wind slabs. The new snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region and the mid-February layer is most reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Tuesday night the region received between 5-40cm of new snow with the greatest accumulations occurring in the south of the region. Southwest winds are expected to have redistributed this new snow forming fresh wind slabs in exposed lee terrain.  70-120 cm below the surface you'll find a variety of old surfaces which were buried in late February. These surfaces include surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. The overlying slab remains very reactive on this interface which was buried in late February, resulting in widespread whumpfing and cracking in flat terrain. Moreover, we've had reports of sudden, propagation-likely test results on weak facets or the late-February crust / surface hoar.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Generally light accumulations of low density snow have occurred in recent days. In some areas wind effect at higher elevations has resulted in wind slabs on east and north aspects. About 25cm below the surface, you may find a variety of old snow surfaces including stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The new snow may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in places where the slab is stiffer and more cohesive due to winds.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. Recent snowpack testing has shown sudden easy results down 25 cm on a surface hoar layer and sudden hard results down 100 cm within the faceted snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">5-25 cm of fresh snow has added to the 40-80cm of settled storm snow from the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. The snowfall has been accompanied by southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at all elevations. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 60-120 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">45-70 cm of new snow fell in the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. The snowfall was accompanied by moderate to strong southerly winds, which promoted the formation of touchy storm slabs at upper elevations. About 60-120 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports have suggested greater reactivity on this layer at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are now down a metre or slightly more and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-15 cm on Tuesday night brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 50-80 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the late-February interface which includes sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Moderate to strong southwest wind Tuesday night redistributed the most recent storm snow forming new wind slabs in leeward terrain at higher elevations. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 80-120 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still a concern which could wake up in the future with heavy loading or a major warming event. In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable below this crust layer. However, some areas have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. This is especially prevalent in shallow snowpack areas (less than ~150 cm).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Trace to 3cm of new snow in the past 24hrs. Variable wind effect in Alpine and open areas at Treeline. Cornices are large and several failures have occurred in recent days. The mid-pack remains supportive, but the basal weak layer persist.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 25-50 cm of snow fell in the North Shore mountains on Tuesday bringing the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 100-200 cm. Recent winds have been from a variety of directions and wind slabs should be expected on all aspects. This recent snow overlies the late-February interface that is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. An observation on Wednesday suggests this layer has gained a lot of strength since the weekend.&nbsp; However, conservative choices are still recommended until we are sure this layer has become unreactive.&nbsp; We could be in a low probability, high consequence scenario where very large avalanche are still possible in isolated areas. Below this interface, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 60-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as more isolated small buried surface hoar. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. A persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down about 90-135cm and composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches. Its reactivity has been especially prominent over the crust at lower elevations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 50-100cm of settled storm snow is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar on sheltered shady slopes, and/or a thin crust on southerly aspects. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 60-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects. Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (80-140 cm deep), and mid-January (over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells ). Basal facets may still be reactive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">By Friday morning expect 10-15cm of new snow with lots more falling throughout the day. Strong southwest winds are expected to shift these accumulations into much deeper deposits in exposed lee terrain. The overall storm total for the last week or so now stands at roughly 80-130 cm. At times, strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow forming large brittle cornices. In some areas the recent storm snow is settling into a cohesive slab which sits over a variety of old surfaces including surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m. Little is known about the reactivity of this interface which was buried in the middle of February. Until we get a better feel for it, I'd assume it has potential for large and destructive avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Isolated basal facets still exist in shallow snowpack areas and can produce destructive full-depth avalanches. Likely triggers include intense storm loading, a cornice fall, or strong solar radiation.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Friday morning expect 6-12cm of new snow with lots more falling throughout the day. Strong southwest winds are expected to shift these accumulations into much deeper deposits in exposed lee terrain.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">Over the past week we've had daily snowfalls of 5-15cm bringing the storm total to 50-90 cm. In some areas, the resulting slab may have a poor bond to the old snow interface which consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading from snow and wind.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Moderate to strong southwest wind over Tuesday and Wednesday have redistributed the most recent storm snow and formed new wind slabs in leeward terrain at higher elevations. Another 10-15 cm on Tuesday brought the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 60-100 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-February weak layer which consists of facets and/or surface hoar overlying a thick crust. In wind loaded terrain, this layer may be down 150 cm or more. Recent observations suggest this layer is still reactive and capable of producing wide propagations if triggered. We have been in an incremental loading scenario over the past week and this layer has not yet been fully tested. Expect it to wake up during the storm on Friday. Below the crust layer, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 10-25 cm of new snow from Wednesday brings the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 55-80 cm in the north of the region and to well over a metre in the south of the region. Strong south and southwest wind during the storm redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain, forming thick wind slabs. The new snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region and the mid-February layer is most reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">On Tuesday night the region received between 5-40cm of new snow with the greatest accumulations occurring in the south of the region. Southwest winds and more recent easterly winds are expected to have redistributed this new snow forming fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects. 70-150 cm below the surface you'll find a variety of old surfaces which were buried in late February. These weak surfaces, which remain the primary concern in the region, include surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. The overlying slab remains reactive on this interface, with ongoing reports of whumpfing in flat terrain. Moreover, we've had reports of sudden, propagation-likely test results on this layer. Below this interface the snowpack is generally settled and strong, with the exception being shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Generally light daily amounts of low density snow have fallen in recent days. Strong and variable winds have likely formed wind slabs on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain. These daily accumulations have incrementally loaded a weak interface which was buried in February. This buried layer includes stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The overlying slab may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in areas where the slab may be stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 50-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week is bonding poorly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 60-120 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">40-80cm of settled storm snow from the past week is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow. Previous southerly and more recent northerly winds have loaded lee aspects with particularly deep and touchy wind slabs. About 60-120 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports have suggested greater reactivity on this layer at lower elevations where the rain crust is more prominent. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar layers from January are now down a metre or slightly more and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 15-20 cm over Tuesday and Wednesday has brought the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 55-85 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the late-February interface which includes sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Moderate to strong southwest wind over Tuesday night redistributed the most recent storm snow, forming new wind slabs in leeward terrain at higher elevations. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 80-120 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still a concern which could wake up in the future with heavy loading or a major warming event. In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable below this crust layer. However, some areas have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. This is especially prevalent in shallow snowpack areas (less than ~150 cm).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Wind effected snow in the alpine.  Cornices are large and if they fail, they can wake up the deeper layers.  The weakest part of the snowpack is still the basal facets and depth hoar.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 15-30 cm of snow fell in the North Shore mountains on Wednesday, bringing the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 115-230 cm. Recent winds have been from a variety of directions and wind slabs should be expected on all aspects; some may exist below less wind affected new snow accumulations. This recent snow overlies the late-February interface that is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. An observation on Wednesday suggests this layer has gained a lot of strength since the weekend. However, conservative choices are still recommended until we are sure this layer has become unreactive. We could be in a low probability, high consequence scenario where very large avalanche are still possible in isolated areas. Substantial snowfall and warming in the forecast are two factors that may promote increasing reactivity at this interface over the weekend. the Below this interface, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 20-25cm of fresh snow has added to the 60-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as more isolated small buried surface hoar. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow at all elevations . A persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down about 90-135cm and composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This and deeper persistent weaknesses has seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 15-20cm of fresh snow has added to the 40-80cm of settled recent storm snow is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar on sheltered shady slopes, and/or a thin crust on southerly aspects. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at all elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is lurking down 70-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects. Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (around a metre deep), and mid-January (well over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells). The november crust and basal facets are still sensitive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Friday's storm delivered about 25 cm of heavy snow that settled into a touchy slab thanks to mild temperatures and moderate winds. The overall storm total since the start of the month now stands at roughly 70-120 cm. At times, strong southwest winds have extensively redistributed the snow forming large brittle cornices. An interface consisting of surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, sun crusts, and a rain crust below 1900 m was buried in the middle of February. Little is known about the reactivity of this interface, but it may have the potential for large and destructive avalanches. Isolated basal facets still exist in shallow snowpack areas and can produce destructive full-depth avalanches. Likely triggers include intense storm loading, a cornice fall, or strong solar radiation.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Friday's storm delivered about 15-30 cm of heavy snow that settled into a touchy slab thanks to mild temperatures and moderate winds. Strong southwest winds are expected to shift these accumulations into much deeper deposits in exposed lee terrain.</span><span class="s_1681A555"> </span><span class="s_3FE45715">The overall storm total since the start of the month now stands at roughly 50-90 cm. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">In some areas, the resulting slab may have a poor bond to the old snow interface which consists of stiff wind slabs, crusts, and facets. The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak facets (sugary snow crystals). Approximately 100-120 cm of settled snow sits above this weak layer of sugary, rotten facets that developed in December. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading and upcoming warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20-30 cm of new snow fell over Thursday night, bringing typical storm accumulation from the past week to 80-130 cm. Moderate to strong southwest wind over Tuesday and Wednesday ramped up to extreme over Thursday night. These winds have increasingly redistributed our recent storm snow and formed touchy new storm slabs in lee terrain at higher elevations. The recent storm snow has settled into a slab that sits over the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-February weak layer which consists of facets and/or surface hoar overlying a thick crust. In wind loaded terrain, this layer may be down 180 cm or more. Recent observations suggest this layer is still reactive and capable of producing wide propagations if triggered. We have been in an incremental loading scenario over the past week and this layer will continue to be tested as new snow continues to accumulate. Below the crust layer, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 15-25 cm of new snow over Thursday night has brought typical storm accumulations from the past week to 70-105 cm in the north of the region and to well over a metre in the south of the region. Recent and ongoing south to southwest winds have redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain, forming touchy wind and storm slabs. The above mentioned storm snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces, which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent observations suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region while the mid-February layer is most reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">New storm slabs will build over the weekend, with strong winds forming extra thick slabs in exposed terrain. The new snow will fall on wind affected surfaces and cold low density snow from last week's storm. An interface buried about 50-80 cm deep remains the primary concern in the region, which includes surface hoar, facets, stiff wind slabs, and a melt-freeze crust below 1600 m. The overlying slab remains reactive on this interface, with ongoing reports of whumpfing in flat terrain. Moreover, we've had reports of sudden, propagation-likely test results on this layer. The lower snowpack is strong, with the exception being shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets are an ongoing concern.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Generally light daily amounts of low density snow have fallen in recent days. Strong and variable winds have likely formed wind slabs in exposed terrain. These daily accumulations have incrementally loaded a weak interface which was buried in February. This buried layer includes stiff wind slabs, facets, crusts and surface hoar. The overlying slab may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in areas where the slab may be stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. At treeline, the average snowpack depths are 120-190 cm and a well consolidated mid-pack of approximately up to 100 cm sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern, especially in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Around 15-25cm of fresh snow has added to the 50-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week, which is bonding poorly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow. The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 60-120 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show a the bond to this interface becoming more variable as recent loading has encouraged more sudden snowpack test results and occasional skier triggered releases, especially over crust at lower elevations. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-15cm of fresh snow adds to the 40-80cm of settled storm snow from the past week that is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow. Previous southerly and more recent northerly winds have loaded lee aspects with particularly deep and touchy wind slabs. About 60-120 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. Some lingering surface hoar weaknesses from January are now down over a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Another 10-15 cm over Tuesday and Wednesday has brought typical storm accumulations from the past week to 65-100 cm. This snow has settled into a slab that sits over the late-February interface which includes sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. Recent and ongoing moderate to strong southwest winds have redistributed much of the recent storm snow into touchy storm and wind slabs in leeward terrain, particularly at higher elevations. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 90-135 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still a concern which could wake up in the future with heavy loading or a major warming event. In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable below this crust layer. However, some areas have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. This is especially prevalent in shallow snowpack areas (less than ~200 cm).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">10-15cm low density new snow over the past 24hrs.  Evidence of moderate winds at upper elevations but TL and lower no wind affect noted. Wind slabs in Alpine terrain are beginning to settle but the weak basal layers and recent large avalanches are causing us to be reluctant to step into bigger alpine terrain.  </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 15-20 cm of new snow fell in the North Shore mountains over Thursday night, bringing the typical storm accumulation in the past week to 130-200 cm. Our most recent winds have been from the south, but previous winds were more variable and formed wind slabs on all aspects below our most recent new snow accumulations. Mid storm layers in the upper snowpack have recently produced moderate, resistant results in snowpack tests. Below the recent storm snow, you'll find the late-February interface. This layer is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent snowpack tests of this layer have produced variable results with occasional sudden fracture character. With this in mind, conservative choices are still recommended until there is higher confidence in this layer becoming unreactive. We could still be in a low probability, high consequence scenario where very large avalanches remain possible in isolated areas. Substantial snowfall and warming in the forecast are two factors that may promote increasing reactivity at this interface over the weekend. the Below this interface, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Around 25-40cm of fresh snow has fallen over the past two days (with moderate southerly winds) and has added to the 60-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">All this new snow is bonding slowly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 90-135 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">This and deeper persistent weaknesses have seen a recent increase in more sudden snowpack test results and has been identified as a failure plane in a number of recent avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 20-30cm of fresh snow in the past two days has added to the 40-80cm of settled recent storm snow. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at upper elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">All this snow is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar on sheltered shady slopes, and/or a thin crust on southerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is lurking down 70-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (around a metre deep), and mid-January (well over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells). The november crust and basal facets are still sensitive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Warm temperatures from an alpine inversion have rapidly settled the most recent 40 cm of storm snow. Southwest winds over the past few weeks formed large cornices on alpine ridges. March has delivered regular storms with roughly 80-120 cm of snow sitting above crust and facet interfaces from February. Little is known about the reactivity of these interfaces, although no recent avalanches have been reported on these layers. Isolated basal facets still exist in shallow snowpack areas and can produce destructive full-depth avalanches. Possible triggers for these deeper weak layers include cornice falls, rapid warming, or strong solar radiation.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Warm temperatures from an alpine inversion have rapidly settled the most recent 20-30 cm of storm snow. March has delivered regular storms with roughly 50-90 cm of snow sitting above crust and facet interfaces from February. In some areas the snow above these interfaces may have a poor bond. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak sugary facets roughly 1-1.5 metres deep. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading and upcoming warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Stormy weather over the past week has brought 80-130 cm of recent snow to the region. Moderate to extreme southwest to southeast winds have redistributed much of this storm snow over the same time period and formed touchy new storm slabs in lee terrain at higher elevations. The combination of wind and warming temperatures has seen the storm snow settle into a slab that sits over the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-February weak layer. This layer consists of facets and/or surface hoar overlying a thick crust. In wind loaded terrain, this layer may be down 180 cm or more. Recent observations suggest this layer is still reactive and capable of producing wide propagations if triggered. We have been in an incremental loading scenario over the past week where as this layer gradually heals, it is continually tested as new snow and wind load the snowpack. Below the crust layer, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A week of stormy weather has brought 70-105 cm of recent snow to the north of the region and well over a metre to the south. Recent south to southwest winds have redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain, forming touchy wind and storm slabs. The above mentioned storm snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces, which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent snowpack observations and avalanche activity suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region while the mid-February layer may remain reactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_3FE45715">Expect 20-30 cm of fresh snow on Sunday and thicker, stiffer, and more reactive deposits in lee terrain. The new snow will bury older lingering wind slabs formed by recent outflow winds. The load of the new snow will stress a weak </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">interface buried about 50-80 cm deep composed of </span><span class="s_3FE45715">facets, crust, and surface hoar. This layer has produced avalanches and alarming snowpack test results on a daily basis for the past week. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The lower snowpack is strong, with the exception of basal facets in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Expect 10-15 cm of fresh snow on Sunday. Moderate southwest winds will form thicker, stiffer, and more reactive deposits in lee terrain. The new snow will also bury older lingering wind slabs on a variety of aspects. Light amounts of daily snowfall have incrementally loaded a weak interface that was buried in February. This buried layer includes facets, crusts and surface hoar about 30-50 cm deep. The overlying slab may have a poor bond to these interfaces, especially in areas where the slab may be stiffer and more cohesive due to winds. A well consolidated mid-pack sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 25-40cm of fresh snow has fallen over the past two days (with light to moderate southerly winds) and has added to the 50-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow.</span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">All this new snow is bonding slowly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 80-120 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show the bond to this interface becoming more variable. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">5-15cm of fresh snow (with some moderate southerly winds) each of the past two days adds to the 40-80cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow; moreover, all this recent snow is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region.  </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 60-120 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Some lingering surface hoar weaknesses from January are now down over a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A week of stormy weather has brought 65-100 cm of recent snow to the region. Recent moderate to strong southwest winds have redistributed much of the recent storm snow into touchy storm and wind slabs in leeward terrain, particularly at higher elevations. Aside from wind effect, time and warming temperatures have allowed the storm snow to settle into a slab that sits over the late-February interface. This layer is composed of sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 90-135 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still being tracked for its potential to be woken up by the warming event forecast for early next week. In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable below this crust layer. However, some areas have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. This is especially prevalent in shallow snowpack areas (less than ~200 cm).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Moderate to strong SW winds have contributed to new, alpine windslabs on N-S aspects. Fortunately these are easy to spot and predict in terms of location. In terms of &quot;triggerability&quot;, it felt as though these could be easily triggered in steep, convex terrain. Treeline also had these slabs, however they were limited to wind exposed areas. For the deeper layers, the situation is still the same as it has been. To make a long story short, the deeper layers are widespread and very difficult, if not impossible to trust. Below treeline the warm temps made for moist, sticky snow that will form a thin crust overnight.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A week of stormy weather has brought 130-200 cm of recent snow to the south coast mountains. Rising freezing levels have seen the most recent precipitation fall as rain below about 1000 metres. Recent southerly winds have redistributed the new snow into touchy storm slabs at higher elevations and mid storm layers in the upper snowpack have recently produced moderate, resistant results in snowpack tests. Below the recent storm snow, you'll find the late-February interface. This layer is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent snowpack tests of this layer have produced variable results with occasional sudden fracture character. With this in mind, conservative choices are still recommended until there is higher confidence in this layer becoming unreactive. There is a possibility of a low probability, high consequence scenario where very large avalanches remain possible in isolated areas. Substantial snowfall and warming in the forecast are two factors that may promote increasing reactivity at this interface over the weekend. the Below this interface, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">Around 40-60cm of fresh snow has fallen over the past three days (with light to moderate southerly winds) and has added to the 50-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">All this new snow is bonding slowly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_1681A555">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 80-140 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show the bond to this interface becoming more variable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_DDF6C5E8">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B" /></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 20-40cm of fresh snow in the past three days has added to the 40-80cm of settled recent storm snow. Southerly winds have formed touchy slabs at upper elevations with multiple weaknesses within and under this recent storm snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">All this snow is bonding poorly to weak faceted snow and small surface hoar on sheltered shady slopes, and/or a thin crust on southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is lurking down 70-120 cm and composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 2000 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. This layer has produced easy results in recent snowpack tests and has proven especially reactive on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Several deeper persistent weaknesses also remain a concern, including surface hoar buried early-February (around a metre deep), and mid-January (well over a metre deep primarily in the northern Purcells). The november crust and basal facets are still sensitive in shallow, rocky start zones.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Warm temperatures have rapidly settled the most recent 40 cm of storm snow, with moist snow below 1600 m. Southwest winds over the past few weeks formed large cornices on alpine ridges. March has delivered regular storms with roughly 80-120 cm of snow sitting above crust and facet interfaces from February. Little is known about the reactivity of these interfaces, although no recent avalanches have been reported on these layers. Isolated basal facets still exist in shallow snowpack areas and can produce destructive full-depth avalanches. Possible triggers for these deeper weak layers include cornice falls, rapid warming, or strong solar radiation.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Warm temperatures have rapidly settled the 20-30 cm of recent storm snow. Wind slabs continue to develop in exposed treeline and alpine terrain. March has delivered regular storms with roughly 50-90 cm of snow sitting above crust and facet interfaces from February. In some areas the snow above these interfaces may have a poor bond. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid-pack in this region is generally strong, but the bottom third of the snowpack is composed of weak sugary facets roughly 1-1.5 metres deep. This remains a concern and should be on your radar, especially with the recent loading and ongoing warming.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Another 20-30 cm of new snow can be expected to accumulate into touchy storm slabs on the surface by Monday afternoon. This new snow will overlie wind affected surfaces as well as recently formed storm slabs and wind slabs that may remain reactive to human triggering. Below the wind affected surface, stormy weather over the past week brought 80-150 cm of recent snow that sits over the </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">mid-February weak layer. This layer consists of facets and/or surface hoar overlying a thick crust. In wind loaded terrain, this layer may be down 200 cm or more. Recent observations suggest that it is still reactive and capable of producing wide propagations if triggered. We remain in an ongoing incremental loading scenario where even as this layer gradually heals, it is continually tested as new snow and wind load the snowpack. Below the crust layer, the mid and lower snowpack are well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">A week of stormy weather has brought 80-120 cm of recent snow to the north of the region and roughly 150 cm to the south. Recent south to southwest winds have redistributed much of this snow in wind-exposed terrain, forming touchy wind and storm slabs. The above mentioned storm snow overlies the mid-February and late-February interfaces, which may be close together in the snowpack. The late-February interface consists of wind affected surfaces in exposed terrain, sun crust on steep solar aspects, and facets and surface hoar in sheltered areas. The mid-February interface consists of a thick rain crust which extends to at least treeline, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, and in many places, a layer of facets overlying the crust. Recent snowpack observations and avalanche activity suggest the late-February layer is most reactive in the north of region while the mid-February layer may be becoming unreactive in the south of the region. Below these layers, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong. </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_3FE45715">By Monday morning storm snow totals may reach 40-80 cm with deeper deposits in lee terrain. Rising temperatures will make the storms slabs very reactive. The new snow will also stress a weak </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">interface from February composed of </span><span class="s_3FE45715">facets, crust, and surface hoar </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">buried over a metre deep</span><span class="s_3FE45715">. This layer has produced avalanches and alarming snowpack test results on a regular basis for the past week. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B">The lower snowpack is strong, with the exception of basal facets in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Storm snow totals may reach 20-40 cm by Monday morning with deeper deposits in lee terrain. Rising temperatures will make reactive storms slabs. A weak interface that was buried in late February may finally have enough snow above it to form a reactive slab. The interface is composed of facets, crusts, and surface hoar that may be 40-80 cm deep. There's some uncertainty about the distribution and reactivity of this interface. A well consolidated mid-pack sits above weak basal facets (sugary snow) near the ground. The deeper basal weakness remain a concern in thin rocky start zones and shallow snowpack locations.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_384D933F"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 40-60cm of fresh snow has fallen over the past three days (with light to moderate southerly winds) and has added to the 50-100cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">All this new snow is bonding slowly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 80-140 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show the bond to this interface becoming more variable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas. The deep mid-December facet layer still lingers in the northern part of the region near Valemount.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">We've had 5-15cm of fresh snow (with moderate southerly winds) each of the past three days, which adds to the 40-80cm of settled storm snow from the past week. Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Recent moderate to strong southerly winds have created touchy wind slabs at treeline and above. All this recent snow is bonding poorly to faceted snow, thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in sheltered areas in some parts of the region. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">About 80-120 cm below the surface you'll likely find the mid-February persistent weakness, which is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1700 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Professionals in the region have also warned that a 'threshold load' has been reached above this interface, particularly where it presents as a crust.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Some lingering surface hoar weaknesses from January are now down over a metre and the weak mid-December facets are down about 1.5 metres. These deep persistent weaknesses still have the potential to react to human triggers or smaller storm slab avalanches.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">A week of stormy weather has brought 70-120 cm of recent snow to the region. Recent moderate to strong southwest winds have redistributed much of the recent storm snow into touchy storm and wind slabs in leeward terrain, particularly at higher elevations. Aside from wind effect, time and warming temperatures have allowed the storm snow to settle into a slab that sits over the late-February interface. This layer is composed of sun crust, surface hoar, and weak faceted snow. The thick mid-February crust layer is now down 90-135 cm and exists on solar aspects and at lower elevations. This layer appears to have gone dormant but is still being tracked for its potential to be woken up by the warming event forecast for early next week. In most deeper snowpack areas, the snowpack is generally well settled and stable below this crust layer. However, some areas have a lingering basal weakness at the bottom of the snowpack. This is especially prevalent in shallow snowpack areas (less than ~200 cm).</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Windslabs are being encountered in Alpine areas and in isolated areas such as steep crossloaded gullies at treeline.  The biggest concern is the weak basal layers that exist throuhgout the region.  These layers just simply cannot be trusted and all larger features should just be avoided until we go through a few solid melt freeze cycles.  Thin melt freeze crusts are being found on Solar aspects up to 2400m.&nbsp; </span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Up to 50 cm of new snow can be expected to accumulate into touchy storm slabs on the surface at higher elevations by Monday afternoon. Below the surface, last week's stormy weather brought 130-200 cm of recent snow to the South Coast mountains. Below all the recent storm snow, you'll find the late-February interface. This layer is composed of a sun crust on southerly aspects and surface hoar on shaded aspects. Our supportive surface crust is likely to prevent triggering this layer at treeline and below, but this interface may remain reactive at alpine elevations. Although triggering this layer may be unlikely, doing so would produce a very large and destructive avalanche. Substantial snowfall and warming in the forecast are two factors that may promote reactivity at this interface on Monday. Below this interface, the mid and lower snowpack appear to be well settled and strong.</span></p>
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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Around 40-60cm of fresh snow has fallen over the past four days (with light to moderate southerly winds). Touchy storm slabs can be found at all elevations with weaknesses within and under this recent snow.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">Warming temperatures on Sunday into Monday has resulted in moist (read: heavy) surface snow up to 1800m in most areas, and unstable snow below treeline.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">All this new snow is bonding slowly to faceted snow as well as isolated small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a thin sun crust on steep southerly aspects.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The persistent weakness buried mid-February is now down 80-140 cm, and is composed of a thick rain crust as high as about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep southerly aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports show the bond to this interface becoming more variable.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B">The mid and lower snowpack are well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow areas.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_AA239A9B"> </span></p>