Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 2nd, 2016 7:26AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.

Avalanche Canada esharp, Avalanche Canada

ALPINE avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE in the North of the region where the Deep Persistent Slab problem is a more active concern.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

THURSDAY: flurries, light to moderate westerly winds, 1000m freezing level. FRIDAY: light snow with up to 10cm possible in the south west of Simthers, moderate southerly winds, 1200m freezing level. SATURDAY: flurries, light to moderate southerly winds, 1200m freezing level.

Avalanche Summary

A small natural avalanche cycle was reported in the northwest of the region on Tuesday.  Several natural wind slab avalanches north of Bell 2 stepped down to the basal facets.  A very large avalanche was triggered remotely by a skier on Monday near the Kispiox, it also released on basal facets in a steep unsupported wind loaded feature. 

Snowpack Summary

Recent moderate easterly winds have created fresh pockets of wind slab in reverse loaded alpine and treeline lee features. A couple of crusts buried in early and late February can be found in the upper meter of the snowpack.  Below this a layer of surface hoar from early January can be found in isolated locations between 60 and 140cm down.  There hasn't been any activity reported on this layer for a couple of weeks now and it is becoming less of a concern.  The snowpack in shallower areas sits on a weak base layer of facetted snow.  This has been an active layer recently, responsible for several large avalanches in unsupported alpine features over the last couple of weeks.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs
Stiff wind slabs may be found in the lee of exposed features in the alpine and at treeline.
Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.>The recent snow may now be hiding windslabs that were easily visible before the snow fell.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Deep Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Deep Persistent Slabs
A layer of facets close to the ground remains a low probability high consequence concern for most of the region. However, in the north it is more active and has been responsible for several recent large natural and skier triggered avalanches.
Be aware of the potential for full depth avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.>Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

3 - 5

Valid until: Mar 3rd, 2016 2:00PM