Avalanche Forecast

Thursday night: Flurries bringing a trace. Moderate to strong northwest wind. Alpine temperatures around -6. Freezing level 500 m.

Friday: Flurries bringing up to 5 cm. Strong northwest wind shifting southwest. Alpine high temperatures around -4. Freezing level 1000 m.

Saturday: 10-20 cm new snow. Strong southwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -4. Freezing level 1000 m.

Sunday: 10-20 cm overnight then clearing. Moderate westerly wind. Alpine high temperatures around -8. Freezing level 500 m.

Explosive control work conducted east of Kitimat on Thursday revealed touchy cornices up to size 2.5, but stubborn wind slabs limited to size 1. Loose dry results were also observed up to size 1.5.

On Wednesday and Thursday, evidence of a widespread natural avalanche cycle was observed to have run during Tuesday's storm throughout the region. At upper elevations, avalanche character was storm slab mostly around size 2 and up to size 3 in coastal areas and Bear Pass. Below treeline, avalanche character was loose wet size 1-1.5.

Several natural glide slab avalanches have been reported over the last week size 2-3. Avoid slopes with glide cracks on them at all times. They are inherently unstable and can release at any time.

Tuesday's storm dropped 30-50 cm of new snow over the region, falling as rain at lower elevations. This recent snow continues to be wind loaded into lee terrain features and cornices in the alpine and exposed treeline. Below treeline, surfaces fluctuate between moist and crusty depending on elevation and time of day.

A crust is buried 60-80 cm below the surface on solar aspects and below 1400 m. At higher elevations where this crust tapers out, the new snow has added significant load to a couple of deeply buried weak layers that we haven't quite ruled out as problems.

The first and most concerning is a roughly 70-100 cm-deep persistent weak layer of surface hoar buried March 12 on sheltered northerly aspects around treeline. Deeper down, around 100 to 300 cm now overlies another layer of surface hoar (and faceted snow) buried in mid-February that may still be a concern in shallower snowpack areas. Although they haven't produced recent avalanches, professionals in the region have been tracking and treating these layers with caution. If it hasn't already been occurring, there is a chance further loading during Tuesday's storm could result in some step-down activity to produce very large and destructive avalanches.

The mid and lower snowpack is well settled and strong in most areas.

• Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
• Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
• Extra caution is needed around cornices under the current conditions.