Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to how the snowpack will react to the forecast weather.

Tuesday night: Snow and flurries, 10-15 cm accumulating overnight. Alpine temperature -10 C, west wind 30-55 km/hr.

Wednesday: Cloudy with scattered flurries, up to 5 cm. Alpine temperature -10 C, west wind 10-25 km/hr.

Thursday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Alpine temperature -13 C, southwest wind 15-30 km/hr.

Friday: Snow, 10-20 cm. Alpine temperature -10 C, southwest wind 10-25 km/hr.

There have been no recent reports of avalanches from this region, however this may be due to a lack of field observations.

Further south, a natural avalanche cycle was observed in Glacier National Park Tuesday. Numerous size 2 storm slab avalanches were observed on all aspects at 2200 m and above. Additionally, 2 size 3 storm slab avalanches were observed on a north aspect at 2165 m and a northwest aspect at 2400 m.

Explosives also triggered a size 3 storm slab avalanche on a north aspect at 2200 m along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor this afternoon. Similar conditions are expected in the Cariboo forecast region.

Snowfall deposited upwards of 25-35 cm of snow around the region. Westerly winds have begun to redistribute new snow into lee features and cross-loaded terrain.

The new snow now covers a faceted upper snowpack and previously wind-affected surfaces. Below the old, wind affected snow, a layer of surface hoar (feathery crystals) may be found in sheltered areas around treeline. In these areas old, stubborn wind slabs may still be reactive where they overly the weak surface hoar on a crust.

A variety of crusts from late October are burried deeper in the snowpack.