Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Howson, Kitimat, Microwave-Sinclair, Nass, Northwest Coastal, Rupert, Seven Sisters, Shames, Stewart, Telkwa.
Parts of our region will continue to accumulate various amounts of new snow. Wind will continue to redistribute this snow.
Don't let good skiing lure you into extreme terrain.
Seek out sheltered low-angle terrain for the best riding.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Recent variable winds and low-density snow created reactive wind slabs on all aspects that have produced several natural and human-triggered avalanches up to size 2.5 in recent days.
Snowpack Summary
Weekend snow may have been transported by southerly winds creating wind slabs at most elevations. New wind slabs and new undistributed snow will be sitting on older wind slabs created earlier this week. These wind slabs can be found on all aspects and at most elevations.
Up to 80 cm now sits over a layer of small surface hoar, facets, and wind-affected surfaces.
A crust from late January exists around 140 to 180 cm below the surface. Beneath the crust, the snowpack is generally consolidated but as you move further inland there are instabilities found near the ground where the snowpack is thinner.
The total height of snow varies between 450 cm near the coast and 250 cm further inland.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Cloudy with some clear periods, trace cm accumulation with up to 10 cm on the coast, winds, southwest 25 km/h, treeline temperatures -10 ºC.
Monday
Cloudy with late day sun, trace accumulation in most places and 8cm in the southwest area, winds southwest 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperatures hovering around -10 ºC.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, trace accumulation, winds northerly 5 to 10 km/h, treeline temperatures -8 to -12 ºC.
Wednesday
Cloudy, 5 cm accumulation, winds southwest 25km/h, treeline temperatures -10 to -5 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
- Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
- Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
This past weekend's storm has brought significant snowfall amounts and southwest winds. Expect to find reactive wind slabs at nearly all elevations in exposed areas.
In areas where the wind has not transported the snow, expect the new low-density snow to have the potential to create dry loose avalanches.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, West, North West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2