North Columbia

Sunshine and rising freezing levels will elevate the potential for cornice failures resulting in large avalanches on Friday.

Low - Due to the number of field observations

FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Light northwest wind / Freezing level 2100mSATURDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries / Light southeast wind / Freezing level 2000mSUNDAY: Cloudy with flurries / Light southwest wind / Freezing level 1900mNOTE: Convective flurries, which are common this time of year, can result in widely varying snowfall amounts. These spring squalls routinely drop 20+ cm of snow in one valley while the adjacent drainage remains dry. For this reason, the distribution of avalanche problems associated with new snow vary greatly within a region.

Several natural and skier triggered wind/storm slab avalanches to size 3 on northerly aspects in the alpine were reported on Wednesday in areas that had received 20+ cm of recent snow. Additionally, numerous natural and skier triggered loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported on solar aspects. Exposure to large overhanging cornices remains a significant concern.

Recent new snow tree line and above has been redistributed by west and south winds. Cornices remain large and continue to become more overhanging. The middle of the snowpack is generally well settled and continues to transition into a spring melt/freeze regime except for high elevation northerly aspects. Expect the entire thickness of the snowpack to be moist or wet at lower elevations. At upper elevations a deep persistent layer consisting of facets sitting on a crust that was buried back in November has been sporadically reactive to heavy loads i.e. a cornice fall or the weight of a smaller avalanche running. Cornices remain large and continue to become more overhanging.