The winter season is off to an encouraging start, with backcountry recreationists busy getting after the early season snow and leaving behind the memory of the less-than-stellar 2023-24 season. A storm pulse moving through the region Thursday night is expected to replenish the powder supply while reinvigorating surface instabilities like wind slabs for the weekend.
Earlier this week, large surface hoar crystals were reported all over the region. When new slabs form over these fragile crystals, the snowpack will likely be quite touchy. The areas likely to pose the highest avalanche hazard are sheltered areas where surface hoar was able to develop, combined with leeward slopes prone to wind-loading.
It’s not the type of layer we like to see in the snowpack. However, the warming event forecast for the first week of December could be as much a blessing to our young snowpack as it is a curse to skiing and riding conditions. Let’s hope the warm temperatures allow a natural avalanche cycle to flush the problem out.
At this early stage of the season, avalanches should be considered especially dangerous. In most areas, there is still a lot of ground roughness that threatens to increase the severity of potential injuries caused by even small avalanches.
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 surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.
