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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 30th, 2025–Jan 31st, 2025

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

Regions

Microwave-Sinclair, North Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Triggering avalanches is possible on alpine slopes due to wind slabs and a buried weak layer.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported since Tuesday.

On Monday the field team observed a recent large windslab that stepped down to weaker layers buried in the snow. See the report here.

On Sunday a rider triggered a large (size 2.5) slab avalanche on a southeast alpine slope. The slab ranged from 20 to 100 cm deep with wind loading variability. The slab may have released on the persistent weak layer described in the Snowpack Summary.

Snowpack Summary

5 - 10 cm of new snow is now above previous highly variable surfaces. Strong winds continue forming pockets of wind slabs. Crusts have been reported on south-facing slopes, and surface hoar has been observed at lower elevations.

A weak layer of facets and crust from early December is buried approximately 50 to 100 cm deep. This layer likely contributed to avalanches last weekend but should be less reactive under current conditions, primarily posing a concern on steep rocky slopes.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with flurries. 20 to 40 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -20 °C.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 40 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -20 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent 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.