Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Wednesday night-Thursday: snow amounts 15-30 cm with light winds gusting extreme from the SW. Alpine temperatures near -1 and freezing levels 700 m. Friday: Periods of snow 5-10 cm. Ridgetop winds light gusting to 65 km/hr from the SW. Alpine high of -5 and freezing levels falling to 400 m. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with sunny periods. Snow amounts 3-8 cm and ridgetop winds generally light. Alpine temperatures high of -5 and freezing levels 300 m.

On Tuesday, explosive results saw several size 1 slab avalanches which initiated within the recent storm snow. Loose dry sluffing from steeper terrain features were also noted. More snow and strong winds will continue to build reactive storm slab avalanches.

Recent storm snow 20-50 cm has buried a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets, crusts, stiff wind slab and a melt/ freeze crust below 1600 m. The deeper storm snow amounts exist in the Shames/ Terrace area with less accumulations further North and East. The new snow will likely have a poor bond to these older surfaces. Deeper in the snowpack 60-90 cm down a layer of surface hoar was buried on February 10th at tree line elevations and continues to be reactive in some recent snowpack tests. Below this layer, the snowpack is generally settled and strong with the exception in shallow snowpack areas around Bear Pass and Ningunsaw where basal facets remain an ongoing concern.