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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 27th, 2025–Jan 28th, 2025

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

Regions

Cariboos, North Rockies, McBride, Quesnel, Sugarbowl, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw.

Wind slab reactivity is expected to persist due to a buried crust beneath the most recent storm snow.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Reports of avalanche activity have significantly decreased since last week's storm cycle. However, on Sunday, a natural cornice drop triggered a large wind slab on a south-facing alpine slope. The slab failed on a buried crust, highlighting that while avalanches may be becoming less likely to trigger, the potential for large avalanches still exists.

Snowpack Summary

Surface hoar growth continues. Anticipate a thin surface crust on all south-facing or sun-exposed slopes. Elsewhere expect variable wind-affected surfaces.

In the upper snowpack, a crust with facets and/or surface hoar, buried in mid-January, can be found roughly 20 to 50 cm down from the surface.

The mid and lower snowpack contains several layers that we continue to monitor but do not currently pose a significant concern.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Partly cloudy. 40 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Tuesday

Cloud building with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with up to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.
  • Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for 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.