Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.

Thursday night: Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing 5-10 cm of new snow. Light to moderate southwest winds. Freezing levels remaining near 1400 metres. 

Friday: Cloudy with increasing flurries bringing 10-20 cm of new snow. Light to moderate southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -2 with freezing levels to 1500 metres.

Saturday: Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light southeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -4 with freezing levels to 1300 metres.

Sunday: Broken skies, becoming cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light southeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -5.

There have been several reports over the past three days of natural, human and explosives triggered avalanches. Most of these were size 1-1.5 storm and wind slab avalanches, on northerly aspects in the alpine and at treeline.

Two notable persistent slab avalanches were reported on Tuesday, one natural and one explosives triggered, size 2.5 and 3.5 respectively. Both of these avalanches occurred in the alpine, on northerly aspects.

On Thursday, up to 15 cm of new snow (paired with warm temperatures and strong southerly winds) likely led to touchy storm slabs forming in many areas. Similar conditions are expected for Friday.

Regular snowfall over the past week brought around 20-40 cm of snow to the region. Elevated winds and warm temperatures on Thursday mean that touchy new storm slabs were likely forming at higher elevations while melting of surface snow occurred below about 1500 metres. A similar picture is expected for Friday.

A layer of surface hoar may still be found roughly 80-120 cm deep in the Selkirks and 120-160 cm deep in the Monashees. This layer exists primarily at treeline and below treeline and through it appears to be gaining strength, it could still be triggered by a large load in some areas.

• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
• Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.