Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

We'll have a brief lull in the action on Sunday before things pick up again on Tuesday. Winter's not done yet!SUNDAY: Sunny with cloudy periods, light to moderate southeast wind, freezing levels 900m, alpine temperature around -5 C.MONDAY: Snow late in the afternoon (5cm). Moderate south wind, freezing level around 1200 m with alpine temperature around -3 C.TUESDAY: 5-15 cm possible by Tuesday afternoon, strong south wind, freezing levels 1200m.

On Friday, loose snow avalanches were reported at treeline in steep terrain.Reports from Wednesday are limited to several Size 1 loose wet avalanches running on a sun crust at lower elevations. On Tuesday, a skier near Hazelton remotely triggered a Size 1 avalanche that subsequently triggered two other Size 2 avalanches on a persistent weak layer (30 cm deep). The avalanches occurred on northeast aspects at 1400 m.On Monday, a Size 3 slab avalanche was triggered by a cornice fall on a north aspect at 1700 m north of Kispiox. Over the weekend, several reports describe reactive slabs above a crust, including a Size 2.5 snowmobile-triggered avalanche in the Telkwas and a Size 2 skier-triggered wind slab north of Kispiox.The cooling trend should help stabilize the persistent slab, but human triggering is still possible in steep or unsupported terrain.

Unsettled weather, and 5-12cm new snow with moderate winds is redistributing snow in exposed terrain.Recent warming and sun have likely left a crust on solar aspects and below 1300 m (reportedly breakable crust below 1000m). Recent snow has settled into a 20-60 cm thick slab above an older crust interface. Recent reports suggest the bond to the crust is poor and has resulted in a reactive slab.Weak sugary snow near the ground has been a dormant instability, but it may still be possible to trigger in steep rocky terrain.