Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainties in both the snowpack structure and the weather forecast limit our confidence.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Scattered flurries with 2-4 cm of snow, 30 km/h wind from the south, alpine temperatures drop to -10 C.

THURSDAY: Scattered flurries throughout the day with 5-10 cm of new snow, 40 km/h wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.

FRIDAY: Isolated flurries with up to 5 cm of snow, light wind from the west, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy, 30 km/h wind from the northwest, alpine high temperatures around -10 C.

MIN reports from the weekend suggest there has been minimal avalanche activity over the past week. No significant activity is expected until sufficient snow buries the surface hoar layer that formed over the past week.

Light accumulations of snow over the next few days will bury a concerning layer of surface hoar that has formed in areas sheltered from the wind (see photos from this MIN report). While the short-term forecast doesn't call for enough snow to form a slab above this layer, thin slabs could possibly form in wind affected terrain. Reports suggest this surface hoar layer can be found on all aspects up to treeline elevations. In the alpine, new snow will bury hard wind slabs and sun crusts on south-facing terrain. Snowpack depths are 50-100 cm in alpine areas around Smithers, with depths diminishing rapidly below 1500 m. The relatively thin snowpack has likely caused soft weak snow to form near the ground, however triggering an avalanche on weak basal snow is unlikely under the current conditions.