Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 7th, 2019 4:23PM
The alpine rating is Wind Slabs and Cornices.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeSummary
Confidence
Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Around 5-10 cm snow beginning around midday. Freezing level near valley bottom. Moderate southerly winds. Alpine high -5. Expect a further 5-10 cm snow overnight.WEDNESDAY: 5-10 cm snow. Freezing level near 800 m. Moderate southerly winds. Alpine high near -3. Expect a further 5-10 cm snow overnight. THURSDAY: 5 cm snow. Freezing level rising to near 1500 m. Moderate southerly winds. Alpine high near -1. More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Avalanche Summary
After an active avalanche cycle last week, activity dwindled by Sunday. Some whumpfing was reported in the north of the region on Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
50-100 cm of storm snow has accumulated throughout the region since January 1. Strong to extreme winds have promoted slab formation and cornice growth. The recent storm snow sits on two weak layers that formed in mid and late December. These layers consists of surface hoar (feathery crystals) and/or a sun crust on steep south facing slopes. The surface hoar is reported to be most prominent in the southern part of the region in areas like the Coquihalla Summit and Manning Park, on north and east aspects at treeline.In the northern portion of the region, a deeper weak layer composed of facets (sugary snow) and/or surface hoar is buried 100 to 150 cm. There have been no reports of avalanche activity on this layer for the past week, but field observations suggest that avalanches may still be possible on this layer with a heavy load such as a cornice fall.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 8th, 2019 2:00PM