Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, South Coast Inland, Stein, Taseko.
Increase caution on sunny slopes and as you reach elevations with dry, wind-redistributed new snow. Weak layers in the upper snowpack could produce surprising avalanches.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Wednesday, a group reported being able to ski cut wet slabs in the forest due to warming temperatures.
Several storm slab (up to size 1.5) avalanches have been reported recently, some have been triggered remotely from up to 10 m away. There are reports of these avalanches sliding on the layer of facets (now 40 - 60 cm deep) that formed during the drought in January.
Snowpack Summary
10 - 15 cm of wet new snow Saturday should bring us to 25 - 30 cm accumulation on top of various problematic surfaces formed during recent cold, dry conditions. These include firm wind effect in exposed terrain, weak surface hoar or faceted grains in sheltered, shaded terrain, and sun crusts on sun-affected slopes.
40 to 60 cm of generally faceted snow overlies a weak layer buried in late January. In most areas, this layer consists of a hard crust along with weak facets or surface hoar. It has been implicated in a few recent small avalanches.
The mid and lower snowpack is strong and bonded.
Weather Summary
Saturday night
Mainly cloudy with up to 10 - 15 cm of new snow, greatest in the alpine. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud after 5 - 10 cm accumulation overnight, greatest in the alpine. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m.
Tuesday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. 15 - 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
- Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
- Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
New snow combined with wind will form fresh slabs over various potential weak layers, some already up to 80 cm deep.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Wet
New moist snow combined with solar warming will increase the likelihood of wet avalanches. This problem will be greatest in direct sunlight.
Aspects: South, South West, West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5