Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light rainfall at lower elevations and otherwise snowfall, accumulation 10 to 20 cm, strong southwest winds, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 1600 m.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, moderate west winds, alpine temperature -6 C, freezing level 900 m.THURSDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 20 cm, moderate south winds, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level 500 m.FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, moderate to strong west winds, alpine temperature -7 C, freezing level 300 m.

Three MIN reports all describe recent avalanche activity around the Smithers area. The avalanches were generally described as hard wind slabs, with some scrubbing to the ground through the faceted snow described in the snowpack summary. Check them out here, here, and here. We often have a hard time getting reports of avalanche activity from this region, so if you see anything, please post your observations to the Mountain Information Network! (MIN). Thanks!

Expect fresh wind slabs to form with up to 20 cm of new snow falling with strong southwest winds. These will sit on lingering hard wind slabs from last weekend. Below about 1500 m, expect rain to make the snow surface soggy, before freezing into a melt-freeze crust.Buried under recent storm snow, you may find one or two weak layers in sheltered areas comprising of feathery surface hoar crystals and/or sugary faceted snow. The upper layer may have been buried around December 22 and is likely 30-50 cm below the surface. The lower one was buried in early-December and is now approximately 80-120 cm below the surface. Deeper in the snowpack, there are several crusts including an early-season crust with faceted snow near the bottom of the snowpack.