Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, South Coast Inland, Stein, Taseko.
Continue to play it conservative. This region has a shallow, weak snowpack. Even small avalanches could step down to deeper layers resulting in large destructive avalanches.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported in the last few days in the region.
Please continue to post your observations and photos to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Ongoing southerly winds have scoured south facing terrain in the alpine and formed wind slab in specific north facing features. A new layer of surface hoar exists at or near the surface. 20 to 40cm of recent snow sits over a crust formed near the end of December. This crust gets thinner and less supportive as you gain elevation. Moist snow will likely be observed at lower elevations.
In the mid-snowpack, a weak layer of surface hoar from early December has been observed down 80 to 100 cm. This layer is most prevalent in shaded and sheltered areas.
The lower snowpack consists of weak facets and depth hoar. This basal weakness remains a concern.
Snowpack depths remain highly variable, roughly 50 to 200 cm at treeline.
Weather Summary
Thursday Night
Cloudy with flurries bringing up to 5cm of new snow. Strong to extreme south winds and freezing levels falling to 1200m by early morning.
Friday
Cloudy with flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Strong southerly winds and freezing level rising to 1500m.
Saturday
Cloudy with light flurreis bringing trace amounts of new snow. Strong south winds easing to light by the afternoon and freezing level rising to 1600m.
Sunday
Cloudy with light flurries bringing trace amounts of new snow. Strong south winds and freezing levels rising to 1600m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rock outcroppings and steep convex terrain where triggering is most likely.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Avalanche Problems
Persistent Slabs
A weak layer of surface hoar has been reported down 80 to 100 cm. This layer is of greatest concern on shaded northerly aspects and in thinner snowpack areas, where human-triggering is most likely.
Remote triggering is a concern for this layer. If triggered, this layer has the potential to step down to the weak faceted lower snowpack, creating large and destructive avalanches.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1.5 - 3
Wind Slabs
Rider triggerable wind slab can likely still be found on west, north and east aspects from ongoing southerly winds.
Keep in mind that wind slab avalanches have the potential to step down to deeper weak layers creating large avalanches.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5
Deep Persistent Slabs
The lower snowpack is made up of facets and depth hoar. This layer is likely to be a concern for a prolonged period of time. It is most likely to be triggered in steep, shallow and rocky terrain features or by first triggering a avalanche higher up in the snowpack.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 2 - 3.5