Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2024–Mar 31st, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Northwest Inland, Kitimat, Nass, Rupert, Seven Sisters, Shames, Howson, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, North Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Watch for small but reactive pockets of dry snow, especially in wind-affected areas.Keep an eye on warming temperatures and back of slopes when they become moist.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, a skier triggered a small, thin wind slab at an entrance to a northwest-facing slope.

On Friday afternoon, loose, dry avalanches and pinwheeling were observed in steep rocky terrain in the sun. As the sun pokes out and temperatures warm, loose wet avalanches may become possible.

Snowpack Summary

The wind has shifted directions and impacted dry snow at upper elevations, which may also cover a thin layer of surface hoar on north-facing and sheltered aspects. A thick melt-freeze crust caps the snowpack, except for high north-facing alpine slopes where dry snow prevails. At lower elevations and on steep sunny slopes, the surface crust may soften with warming during the day, or the snowpack may become isothermal.

A layer of weak, faceted crystals overlying a crust is buried 30-60 cm in the east of the region and 50-100 cm in the west. Triggering this layer has become unlikely, except in the case of shallow snowpack spots or very large loads like cornice falls.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy. Northwest ridgetop wind 20-40 km/h. Treeline temperature low -6 °C. Freezing level near valley bottom.

Sunday

Cloudy, clearing later in the day. West ridgetop wind gusting to 50 km/h. Treeline temperature high +3 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Monday

Flurries, up to 10 cm. Southwest ridgetop wind gusting to 70 km/h. Treeline temperature +4 °C. Freezing level rising above 1400 m.

Tuesday

Snow and wet flurries, 10-20 cm. Southwest ridgetop wind gusting to 60 km/h. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.