Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Blue River, Cariboos, Clearwater, Clemina, East Kakwa, Kakwa, McBride, McGregor, North Rockies, Pine Pass, Premier, Quesnel, Renshaw, Robson, Sugarbowl, Tumbler.
Higher elevations hold the best riding, but are also where triggering slabs is most likely.
Avoid being below cornices and plan to be out of avalanche terrain before the heat of the day.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
In the past few days, several natural wind slabs (size 1-2.5) have been reported from north and east alpine terrain, many of them cornice triggered. A few of these avalanches are suspected to have stepped down to buried weak layers, producing avalanches to size 3.5.
Loose wet avalanches (size 1-2) continue to happen on steep south-facing slopes in the afternoon.
Snowpack Summary
Surface conditions vary from dry powder on high-north aspects, a crust or moist snow low down and on south-facing slopes, and hard-wind-affected snow in exposed areas.
The mid and lower snowpack is generally strong, with older weak layers now buried 50 to 200 cm deep. There's a chance large triggers—like cornice failures—could still release deeper layers, especially on high north-facing slopes.
Weather Summary
Tuesday night
A mix of sun and cloud. Isolated light precipitation, less than 1 mm. 20 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature drops to -5 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Wednesday
Partly cloudy with isolated light precipitation. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +1 °C. Freezing level 2200 m.
Friday
A mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +2 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
- The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.
- Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present in the snowpack.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Where dry snow is available for transport, northeast wind could form wind slabs over a crust in a reverse-loading pattern.
Watch for reactive slabs in unusual areas.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Cornices
Cornice falls are hard to predict and could trigger large avalanches on the slope below that step-down to buried weak layers. Avoid travelling below cornices, especially during the heat of the day and when solar radiation is strong.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3.5
Loose Wet
Wet loose avalanches become more likely on sun affected slopes if the surface crust breaks down.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5