Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Northwest Inland.
A light dusting of new snow won't be enough to elevate avalanche danger on Wednesday.
Confidence
High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern with little change expected.
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with isolated flurries bringing 1-3 cm of snow, 30 km/h wind from the west, alpine temperatures drop to -8 C.
WEDNESDAY: Scattered flurries with up to 5 cm of new snow, 30-40 km/h wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.
THURSDAY: Scattered flurries with 5-10 cm of snow, 40 km/h wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries and clearing in the afternoon, 30 km/h wind from the west, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.
Avalanche Summary
Recent MIN reports suggest there has been minimal avalanche activity over the past week. No significant activity is expected until the next major snowfall.
Snowpack Summary
MIN reports from the weekend describe extensive wind affect at higher elevations, while softer snow can be found in sheltered terrain. Warm inversion temperatures have likely left a thin surface crust on south-facing slopes in the alpine. Recent wind from the southwest and north has left hard wind slabs near ridgetops and lee terrain. In isolated areas, these small slabs may be sitting on sugary faceted snow or feathery surface hoar, which could make them reactive to human triggering. Snowpack depths are 50-100 cm in alpine areas around Smithers, with depths diminishing rapidly below 1500 m.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Hard wind slabs exist in the alpine and could be reactive to human triggering in steep terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5