Lawinenlagebericht

South Columbia

Jan 16 – 17, 2026Avalanche Canada
Auf der Karte ansehen
Archiviert · abgelaufen 9 months ago

Lawinengefahr

Sun
Mon
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
Vollständige Karte öffnen

Kernpunkte

It remains uncertain how quickly a buried weak layer will recover, especially in areas at upper elevations that don't have a robust surface crust.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–2

    Strong northwest wind may form fresh wind slabs in the alpine, especially where a capping surface crust does not exist.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely - Possible
    Größe
    2–3

    A layer of surface hoar is buried around 1 m deep. Large loads like cornice fall may be able to trigger this layer, especially in areas that lack a robust surface crust.

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday, reports from the region saw natural storm slab avalanches up to (size 2.5), a few cornice falls that triggered persistent slabs up to (size 3) from the slopes below.

With a cooling and drying trend on Friday, we expect avalanche activity to taper significantly until warmer weather arrives for the weekend.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

Snowpack Summary

A 1 to 3 cm thick melt-freeze surface crust will likely exist up to 2200 m on all aspects. If the sun is out, this crust may break down and soften snow surfaces, especially on steep south-facing slopes. In the high alpine, where dry wind-affected snow exists, expect isolated pockets of wind slab and wind-affected snow surfaces. Large, overhanging cornices linger.

A surface hoar layer buried in early January may be found down 100+ cm. In some areas, snowpack tests have shown that this surface hoar is still preserved. The mid-December crust is now buried around 1.5 m deep, and is present up to 2300 m. Triggering these layers is considered possible with large loads, like a cornice failure or in thin snowpack areas.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night
Clear skies. 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Friday
Sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level valley bottom.

Saturday
Sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Alpine temperatures 0 °C. Freezing level 2500 m. Alpine temperature inversion.

Sunday
Sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Alpine temperatures -1 °C. Freezing level 2100 m. Alpine temperature inversion.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.

Abgedeckte Regionen