Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

The current ridge of high pressure will persist through Wednesday bringing a mix of sun and cloud. On Thursday and Friday, however, a weak disturbance will track across the region, although only light amounts of snow and overcast skies are expected. Freezing levels should hover around 800m for the period with ridge top winds remaining generally light from the northwest.

Under Monday's warm skies, loose wet avalanches to size 2 were observed in sun-exposed terrain. That said, observations were limited, and the warming may have had a more widespread effect. In the neighboring North Columbia region, warming and solar radiation triggered some persistent slab avalanches to size 3.5. Forecast cooling should limit avalanche activity of this nature.

Generally light amounts of loose cold snow cover the previous variable snow surface of crusts, surface hoar, dry facetted snow, or wind affected snow depending on aspect and elevation. Thin wind slabs may still be sensitive to triggering in isolated high elevation lee terrain, and cornices remain large and weak. The 'Valentine's Day' crust, found just below the surface, is thick and supportive below 2100 m. The late-Jan crust/surface hoar layer is 1-2 m deep in the west, and can be found within the upper metre of the snowpack further east. It is variably reactive in snowpack tests and still the main concern in many areas. The mid-January surface hoar, deeper again, is also a concern in some areas. Deeper weakness are likely to remain dormant for the time being.