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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 24th, 2023–Feb 25th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Watch for changing conditions. As new snow and wind arrive on Saturday afternoon, fresh reactive wind slabs may form in exposed areas.

Triggering a deep persistent slab remains possible, especially in areas with a thin snowpack. Sheltered terrain will offer the best and safest riding.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, two size 3 deep persistent slab avalanches were observed just north of the Hurley summit. These slabs are suspected to have failed within the last two days. One was on a north-facing alpine face and the other an exposed, east-facing open slope at treeline. A nearby operation was able to trigger two size 2 wind slabs with a snowcat groomer on northwest-facing terrain at treeline.

Also on Thursday, skiers were able to trigger small (size 1) wind slabs in alpine terrain on south to east aspects the Birkenhead north of Pemberton.

On Tuesday there were reports of a few size 2.5 naturally triggered windslab avalanches on northerly and southerly aspects in the alpine in the Birkenhead area and in the south Chilcotin.

Snowpack Summary

Previous northeasterly winds have redistributed recent storm snow and formed stiff wind slabs in exposed areas. In sheltered areas, surface faceting due to cold temperatures and/or soft surface snow remains.

A melt-freeze crust from late January can be found down 60-80 cm. At the moment this layer appears to be gaining strength though in isolated areas small facets can still be found above the crust.

There is a widespread weak layer of large sugary facets at the bottom of the snowpack. Recent avalanche activity on this layer has been confined to northern parts of the region in the Chilcotins. Snowpack depths around treeline range between 150 to 250 cm.

Weather Summary

Friday night

A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures around -16 °C. Light ridge wind. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -8 °C. Ridge wind 20 km/h gusting to 50 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Sunday

Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries, 5 cm accumulation. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -10 °C. Ridge wind southwest 20 km/h gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Monday

Sunny with cloudy periods. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -7 °C. Mostly light ridge wind occasionally gusting to 35 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.