A recent deep slab avalanche near Kispiox is a good reminder that this is a low snow year and there are lingering weaknesses at the base of the snowpack.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY: flurries, moderate southerly winds, 1000m freezing level. THURSDAY: flurries, light to moderate westerly winds, 800m freezing level 1000m. FRIDAY: flurries, moderate southerly winds, 1200m freezing level.
Avalanche Summary
A very large avalanche was triggered remotely by a skier on Monday north of the Kispiox. It released on basal facets in a steep unsupported wind loaded feature.
Snowpack Summary
Recent moderate winds have created fresh pockets of wind slab in both traditional and reverse loaded lee features in the alpine and at treeline. 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. We havent heard of any activity 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 active layer recently, responsible for several large avalanches in unsupported alpine features over the last couple of weeks.
esharp,
Avalanche Canada
