SOUTH COAST REGION WEATHER:A moderate onshore flow produced light amounts of snowfall for the Coastal region this past weekend. The winds were generally moderate from the south, temperatures ranged from -1 to -8. The forecast calls for a series of Pacific frontal systems that are rapidly approaching the BC coast. This system will cross the south coast on Sunday night bringing rain/snow and very strong southeast winds. A weak ridge of high pressure will follow the front on Monday, providing a brief clearing. A weak disturbance will reach the coast on Tuesday and will bring more flurries for the remainder of the week. SNOWPACK: Fluctuating freezing levels over the past weekend tended to create a thin freezing rain crust up to 2000m. The surface hoar layer down 50-60cm continues to linger throughout the snow pack above 1800m. Deeper in the snow pack lies the Nov.17th rain crust approx. 100cm below the surface. A layer of facets is just above this crust. Moderate shears persist in this layer. Sensitive wind slabs remain evident in the alpine. AVALANCHES: Slab avalanche potential remains to be a problem, explosive testing produced large slab avalanches, too size 3 @ 2200 m. NE aspect. No natural activity has been reported. DANGER: ABOVE TREELINE - CONSIDERABLE BELOW TREELINE- MODERATE TRAVEL ADVISORY: Snow stability deteriorating with the arrival of forecasted wind and snowfall. The information on alpine conditions is limited due to some observers not being on line as of yet. A full snow profile would be advisable, to check out the different layers discussed in the avalanche bulletin. Practice choosing safe terrain which accurately represents the slopes you're interested in. NORTH COLUMBIA REGION WEATHER: Very light amounts of snow have fallen in this region over the past few days, any where from 5 to 15cm. Temperatures ranged from -1 to -12 . Winds were generally moderate from the south. The forecast for the start of this week is calling for periods of snow Monday, with flurries continuing mid week. Amounts will vary depending on location. Winds are forecast to taper off, with temperatures remaining cool. SNOWPACK: New snow instabilities appear to be constant in this region. Air temperatures are slowly on the rise, which should promote further settlement, and allow surface instabilities to gain strength. A surface hoar layer @ 2100m is now anywhere from 45-60cm below the surface. This layer does not appear to be very reactive right now. The Nov.17th rain crust down about a metre to a metre and a half in the alpine continues to show variability in test results. Significant wind affect in the alpine over the weekend in the Cariboos, expect windslab to present. . AVALANCHES: Several small avalanches reported from ski cutting, as well as natural releases in observed in steep gullies on N aspects. DANGER: ABOVE TREELINE- MODERATE BELOW TREELINE-LOW TRAVEL ADVISORY: Snowpack instabilities look like they are gaining strength right now, but tests should still be done to confirm this theory. Practice choosing safe terrain which accurately represents the slopes you're interested in. Reports are that wind slabs continue to build in the Valemount area. SOUTH COLUMBIA REGION WEATHER: New snow has fallen overnight in this region, making approx. 25cm of storm snow by Monday. Temperatures have remained cool ranging from -6 to -10 overnight. Winds have been light to moderate from the southwest. The weather forecast is calling for more snow Monday and flurries for mid-week, temperatures should remain cool as well. SNOWPACK: The snowpack in the south has now reached a metre. A layer of surface hoar has developed and is now approx. 25cm below the surface. Reports are this layer is very reactive to the 25cm of storm snow on top of it. Alpine wind slabs on lee slopes from yesterdays weather event are suspect. AVALANCHES:In Kootenay Pass, explosive control produced avalanches up to size 1.5, storm snow running on the buried surface hoar layer. Also, small natural surface slab activity was observed on SW aspects at 2000m. No other natural avalanche activity has been reported in the region. DANGER: ABOVE TREELINE: CONSIDERABLE BELOW TREELINE: MODERATE to LOW TRAVEL ADVISORY: Be cautious of the surface hoar instability that has recently developed and is now buried below 25cm of storm snow. Due to the present lack of data, it is even more important now that backcountry travelers consider the conditions and assess the dangers to themselves. ROCKIES REGION WEATHER: Temperatures remained cool in the Rockies, with Lake Louise boasting the coldest temps. of -12. Unfortunately, only light precipitation fell throughout the weekend. Winds were anywhere from moderate to strong, from the west or southwest. The unsettled weather is expected to produce some flurries today, turning to more organized snow for mid-week. Slightly warmer temps. are expected by Thursday and will be accompanied by a similar wind pattern. SNOWPACK: At treeline and above, moderate SW winds continue to build a thin wind slab. A weak facetted layer is sandwiched between the wind slab and the Nov.17th rain crust. The facets are providing the failure layer and the rain crust is providing the a smooth sliding surface. This appears to be the primary weakness in the snowpack, field tests show easy to moderate shear in this weak layer of facets. AVALANCHES: Explosive testing produces slabs up to size 2, on that Nov.12th rain crust. A backcountry snowboarder near Lake Louise triggered a size 2 avalanche and was partially buried. The bed surface was the Nov.17th rain crust. DANGER: ABOVE TREELINE:CONSIDERABLE BELOW TREELINE ; MODERATE TO LOW TRAVEL ADVISORY:. Wind slabs in the alpine are now reacting to human triggers, winds could have a major influence on snow stability in the alpine over the next few days. The current weather forecast is calling for snow, wind and milder temperatures, just the right mixture for building slabs. Good route selection and careful observation of wind loaded slopes are must for safe travel.