Avalanche Forecast

An arctic ridge of high pressure will briefly build, leading to another clear and cold day heading into Friday. The next round of snow is expected late Friday, with moderate rates of precipitations to invade the northern ranges for the weekend.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Clear / Moderate north winds / Possible temperature inversion with -20 at the valley bottom and -15 at 1500 m.

FRIDAY: Increasing cloudiness / Moderate westerly winds / Possible temperature inversion with -20 at the valley bottom and -15 at 1500 m.

SATURDAY: Snow 10-20 cm / Strong to extreme southwest winds / Possible temperature inversion with -15 at the valley bottom and -10 at 1500 m.

SUNDAY: Periods of snow 5 cm / Strong southerly winds / High of -8

A small (size 1) wind slab avalanche was easily triggered by a snowmobile Wednesday on a convex roll at treeline. 

Few natural wind slabs (size 1) avalanches were reported from open slopes at treeline around Telkwa and Hudson Bay.

If you are out in the mountains please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.

The region received 10-15 cm of new snow Wednesday night, along with strong northerly winds. Fresh and reactive wind slabs have formed in open areas at treeline and alpine, predominantly on south aspects. 

In some areas, recent wind slabs are sitting on a thick layer (30-40 cm) of weak surface snow (faceted grains) due to last week's cold temperatures.

Significant faceting was also observed over the thick early December crust, which can still be found down 70 cm around 1800 m. 

Snowpack depth at treeline typically ranges from 150-230 cm, with higher values in the western part of the region and tapering to the east. 

• Sheltered slopes at lower elevations will offer the best riding.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.