Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 5th, 2026–Mar 6th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Cariboos, North Columbia, Blue River, Clearwater, McBride, Premier, Quesnel, Clemina.

Snow and wind are increasing in many areas, and avalanche danger may rise throughout the day.

Check out this blog for details on current persistent weak layers across the province.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.
We are uncertain about forecast snowfall amounts.

Avalanche Summary

Visibility in the alpine has been limited recently, but a few large avalanches (up to size 3) have been reported south of Highway 16 since Tuesday. These likely started from wind loading, though it is unclear if they stepped down to deeper weak layers.

Late last week, during stormy conditions, a large avalanche cycle occurred near Blue River. Some avalanches likely stepped down to deeper weak layers, reaching up to size 4.

Snowpack Summary

Roughly 10 to 20 cm of new snow continues to accumulate over previously wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain, over a thin sun crust on south-facing slopes, and on moist or crusty surfaces at lower elevations.

A layer buried in late January, consisting of surface hoar, facets, and/or crust, exists roughly 80 to 150 cm below the surface.

The remainder of the snowpack is well consolidated, with no significant layers of concern.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Friday
Cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 70 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Avoid freshly wind-loaded features, especially near ridge crests, rollovers, and in steep terrain.
Pay attention to the wind; once it starts to blow, sensitive wind slabs are likely to form.
Avalanche danger is expected to increase throughout the day.
If triggered, wind slabs may step down to deeper layers, causing larger avalanches.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.