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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 23rd, 2025–Jan 24th, 2025

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

Kitimat, Nass, Rupert, Seven Sisters, Shames, Howson.

Watch for reactive slabs in wind-loaded areas where the snow is deeper and stiffer. Uncertainty remains about how weak layers deep in the snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday visibility hindered observations, however fresh snow and wind resulted in natural storm slab avalanches to size 3 and wind slabs to size 1 triggered by rider traffic.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 30 cm of new snow has accumulated since the weekend, with lower amounts in inland areas. Westerly winds have redistributed this new snow into deeper deposits in leeward terrain. A layer of weak surface hoar crystals may exist beneath the new snow in wind-sheltered terrain, while previously wind-affected surfaces have been buried elsewhere.

Deeper in the snowpack, approximately 100 to 200 cm below the surface, a crust with faceted crystals, and/or surface hoar, buried in early December, persist.

The lower snowpack is generally well-settled with no current concerns.

Weather Summary

Thursday night

Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, up to 5 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Friday

Partly cloudy. 25 to 45 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday

Mostly sunny. 30 to 60 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Sunday

Sunny. 40 to 60 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Give the new snow several days to settle and stabilize before pushing into bigger terrain.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger 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.

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.