Avalanche forecast

Cariboos

Feb 2 – 3, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 15 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–6
    Wind slabs are generally lurking below ridgecrests, behind terrain features and in cross-loaded gullies. They can fail as very large, destructive avalanches.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Large cornices are looming over many slopes. Warm temperatures and solar radiation will likely weaken them, and a falling chunk could trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Large storm slab avalanches have been occurring for the past week and are expected to remain sensitive to triggers for the forecast period.

Confidence

Good - -1

Weather Forecast

Although some clouds are expected to move into the region from time to time, generally dry conditions are expected throughout the forecast period. Freezing levels are expected to rise to 1200-1500m by midday except for above freezing alpine temperatures on Friday. Mountain top winds should remain light.

Avalanche Summary

Large looming cornices are likely to start falling off with warm temperatures and solar radiation. Large slab avalanches that propagate across entire slopes are possible, especially with heavy triggers such as step-down avalanches, cliff-drops, and cornice drops.

Snowpack Summary

Total snowpack depths are well above average or even new record depths for this time of year. Weaknesses within the upper snowpack and the facets and surface hoar buried mid-January, create the potential for large step-down avalanches, but things seem to be settling rapidly. Snowpack tests on the mid-January facets down 80-150cm consistently produce sudden fractures and this weakness seems to be particularly touchy below 1500m where it is shallower and sits on a crust. Weak wind slabs and large fragile cornices are lurking in exposed lee and cross-loaded terrain.

Regions covered