Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Storm slabs are expected build throughout the day with continued snow and/or wind.

Choose small, low consequence slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3

    A couple of concerning weak layers exist in the top meter of the snowpack.

    Storm slabs could step down to these layers resulting in larger avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

Forecast moderate to strong southwesterly winds may make slabs more reactive on lee north and east facing slopes near ridgetops.

40 to 50 cm of recent storm snow is sitting on top of various snow surfaces. These include small facets and/or surface hoar in sheltered areas, and heavily wind-affected snow in exposed terrain.

Two surface hoar layers can be found in the middle of the snowpack: One down 40 to 65 cm and another down 50 to 90 cm at treeline.

A rain crust from early November is buried 60 to 100 cm deep and seems to be bonding well to overlying layers.

Alpine snow depths vary greatly across the region and from aspect to aspect.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

North of Stewart on Wednesday and Thursday, numerous small dry loose avalanches and several size 1 to 2 slabs were observed in the alpine. With more wind and snow in the forecast, large slab avalanches will become more likely.

No new avalanches have been reported near Smithers, but reports have been extremely limited.

If you head to the backcountry please consider submitting your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Cloudy with 8 to 10 cm of snow in areas near Smithers and 0 to 2 cm north of Hazelton. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10°C.

Saturday

Cloudy with up to 15 cm of snow expected near Smithers and 0 to 2 cm north of Hazelton. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7°C.

Sunday

Cloudy with 2 to 10 cm of snow expected. 60 to 70 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3°C.

Monday

Cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow expected. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3°C. Freezing level rising to 1900 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for larger than expected storm slabs due to buried surface hoar.
  • Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
  • As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.

Regions covered