Avalanche Forecast

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

A ridge of high pressure over Idaho is forecast to keep the region mainly dry while the rest of BC gets hit by a warm storm system. There is the possibility that some of the precipitation makes it through and one model is showing light precipitation Friday night into Saturday. On Friday, freezing levels are expected to rise to around 1500m. Alpine winds are expected to increase to strong-to-extreme from the SW by Friday night. On Saturday, freezing levels are forecast to rise to around 2500m. The second warm front will impact the interior Saturday night. Again, the position of the ridge of high pressure will dictate whether the South Rockies gets precipitation or not. On Sunday, mostly sunny conditions are expected with freezing levels over 2500m.

No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday. On Tuesday, explosives triggered three persistent slabs avalanche up to size 2. These released on the mid-Dec layer down 40-60cm. They were all on east aspects around 2000m elevation. On Monday, explosives triggered a size 2.5 deep persistent slab on the early-Nov layer near the ground. This was on an east aspect at 1700m in the Harvey Pass area. Natural avalanche activity is generally not expected on Friday.  Human-triggering remains a concern, especially in wind loaded areas and steep unsupported terrain features.

Moderate-to-strong SW wind has and will continue to redistribute snow in the alpine and will continue to load leeward features. In sheltered areas, 10-20cm of snow overlies a rain crust to 1900m, facets, and/or surface hoar. The mid-December crust/facet layer is down 40-80cm. Tests indicate that this layer is still reactive and isolated large avalanches continue to release on this interface. Closer to the ground a crust/facet interface that formed in November is generally dormant but may still be reactive in isolated areas.