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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2023–Mar 31st, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
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.

Regions

North Columbia, South Columbia, Esplanade, Jordan, North Selkirk, Shuswap, Badshot-Battle, Central Selkirk, Goat, Gold, Kokanee, North Okanagan, Retallack, Valhalla, Whatshan.

Use good travel habits and avoid shallow, rocky start zones. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features, and in extreme terrain.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday, northwest of Revelstoke, explosive avalanche control triggered a few small cornice and wind slab avalanches on north aspects in the alpine.

A couple of large, deep persistent slab avalanches were also reported, but it is suspected that they occurred earlier in the week, possibly in a very warm and sunny period.

Other recent reports include a few wet loose avalanches to size 1.5 and 2 in the alpine on solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

By Thursday afternoon, up to 5cm of new snow may have fallen over a thin crust on steep slopes facing the sun right up into the alpine. Snow that fell earlier in the week has been redistributed by northeast winds. On high, north-facing terrain, wind slabs may sit over facets and surface hoar.

The mid-snowpack is generally strong but the lower snowpack is a different story. The November facets are still prominent at the base of the snowpack. This layer remains a concern in rocky, shallow, or thin to thick snowpack areas at treeline and above.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Mostly clear. No new snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level dropping to valley bottom.

Friday

Cloudy. 0-5 cm of snow expected. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1300 m. Treeline high around -5°C.

Saturday

Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow expected overnight and through the day. Light southwest ridgetop wind, possible periods of moderate in the morning. Freezing level around 1300m.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected. Very light southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level around 1300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.