Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Regions
Northwest Inland.
Sheltered terrain not only offers the best riding right now, but also keeps you away from lingering wind slabs.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Sunny, moderate northwest winds, treeline temperatures around -12 C.TUESDAY: Sunny, moderate northwest winds, treeline temperatures around -14 C.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, moderate southwest winds, treeline temperatures around -18 C.
Avalanche Summary
A few small wind slabs in steep south facing terrain were reported west of Smithers in a Mountain Information Network report (see here). Wind slabs have shown some reactivity to human triggers over the past week, but cold temperatures have generally made them difficult to trigger.
Snowpack Summary
Surface snow has been affected by winds from a variety of directions. The degree of wind effect varies throughout the region, with the most dramatic winds associated with outflow conditions in the western parts of the region near coastal inlets. Sheltered areas may still have 10-30 cm of powder from previous storms. Roughly 20 cm below the surface, a variable weak layer exists comprising of facets, crusts on solar aspects, and in protected areas below 1500 m, feathery surface hoar. In most places, insufficient snow has fallen above this layer for it to be reactive, but it should be considered in deep snow areas or where the wind has blown additional snow over the top of it. The lower snowpack is generally well settled with two prominent crusts. The late November crust can be found 30-50 cm below the surface and the October crust is near the base of the snowpack.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.