As of Tuesday, Dec. 30
Winds in the alpine during the past several days from the Southeast and most recently the Northeast have redistributed the surface layers of snow resulting in new windslab formation. In some areas these windslabs can be expected to be reactive to the weight of a person. At lower elevations, the slab has remained very soft.
Surface Hoar growth and faceting within the surface layers of snow will become a potential weakness once buried by the snowfall that is forecasted to fall during the next few days. The storm snow that fell last week has been observed to be settling well.
As always, travel with a partner and be equipped and prepared for self-rescue.
As of Tuesday Dec. 30 th , the backcountry avalanche danger is currently rated as MODERATE, but is trending towards increasing with continued snowfall and wind.
Conditions may vary and can change rapidly. Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler/Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or at www.whistler-blackcomb.com/weather where there is also a link to the CAA public avalanche bulletin, or call 1-800-667-1105.
