South Columbia

If warm temperatures persist, there will be a higher likelihood of avalanche activity, especially on steep, sun-exposed slopes.Are you a member of Avalanche Canada? Join today at avalanche.ca/membership

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Wednesday

The current ridge of high pressure will persist through Wednesday bringing a mix of sun and cloud. On Thursday and Friday, however, a weak disturbance will track across the region, although only light amounts of snow and overcast skies are expected. Freezing levels should hover around 800m for the period with ridge top winds remaining generally light from the northwest.

With the warm temperatures on Monday, fairly widespread loose wet avalanche activity to size 2 was observed in sun-exposed terrain. Under the warm skies, a size 3 glide crack avalanche was also observed. In the North Columbia region, there was also some persistent slab avalanche activity on sun-exposed alpine slopes to size 3.5. With the forecast cooling trend, avalanche activity of this nature should taper-off.

At higher elevations, up to 10 cm of loose cold snow overlies the previous variable snow surface of surface hoar, crusts, dry facetted snow, or wind affected snow depending on aspect and elevation. The "Valentine's Day" crust is just below the surface and is now strong and thick in most places. Wind slabs may still be reactive in high elevation lee terrain from recent northwest winds, and cornices remain large and weak. The late-Jan crust/surface hoar layer (up to 100 cm deep) and the mid-January surface hoar (80-120 cm deep) are generally dormant, and chances of triggering these weaknesses have decreased. However, triggering may be possible with a large input such as cornice fall, or an avalanche stepping down, especially on sun drenched slopes.