North Columbia

Use caution on steep slopes near ridge crests and on rollovers, where you’re most likely to encounter reactive wind slabs.

A few size 1 to 1.5 wind-slab avalanches were triggered by skiers and explosives in extreme alpine terrain in the Revelstoke area on Monday.

Please consider posting a MIN if you are heading out in the backcountry!

Roughly 5 to 15 cm of snow has buried a widespread layer of surface hoar in sheltered terrain, a thin suncrust on steep south-facing aspects, and firm wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain.

The mid snowpack contains a supportive melt-freeze crust, roughly 40 to 60 cm below the surface.

The average snow depth at treeline ranges from 70 to 100 cm.

Below treeline, the snowpack tapers significantly. Watch out for variable snow conditions and quality—early-season hazards such as open creeks, rocks, and stumps are abundant.

Wednesday Night
Cloudy. 2 to 8 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Thursday
Cloudy. 0 to 3 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Friday
Cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.
• Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
• Be cautious of buried obstacles, especially below treeline.