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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 17th, 2025–Dec 18th, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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 unlikely, human triggered possible.
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, Premier, Quesnel, Sugarbowl, Clemina, North Monashee.

Human-triggered wind slabs are likely and may be especially touchy where they have formed over a melt-freeze crust.

Choose low-angled, sheltered terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.
  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday several natural size 2 to 3 persistent slab avalanches were reported east of Wells Gray.

We expect wind slabs to be reactive to human triggers while they continue to form.

Snowpack Summary

Continued new snow will be redistributed by strong winds forming new slabs over a crust that extends to 2200 m and a settled and wind affected snowpack at upper elevations.

Around 100 cm deep, a layer of surface hoar, facets and/or a crust exists. Uncertainty exists over the reactivity of this layer where there is no crust layer.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level 300 m.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 700 m.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C. Freezing level 200 m.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C. Freezing level 0 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.
  • Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rocky outcrops, and steep terrain where triggering is most likely.

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.