Avalanche Forecast

Good - -1

Mainly cloudy with a chance of flurries for the forecast period. Freezing levels are expected to remain in valley bottoms. Winds could get quite gusty, but generally moderate from the southwest.

Over the weekend widespread natural deep slab avalanche activity to Size 3 was reported. The avalanches occurred in response to a warming pattern that affected much of BC. Avalanche activity has decreased dramatically with the current cooling trend.

The current snow surface is well on its way in becoming a dangerous weak layer once a sufficiently cohesive slab develops. Surface hoar is continuing to develop on sheltered slopes at all elevations combined with near-surface facets at lower elevations and surface crusts on sun-exposed slopes. At the base of the snowpack basal facets and depth hoar seem fairly widespread in the region. Basal facets recently became active again with warm temperatures, and remain a concern with heavy triggers, such as airborne sled impacts and cornice falls, on steep unsupported alpine slopes. In Elk Valley North and the Crowsnest, the average snowpack depth at treeline is 150 cms. In Elk Valley S and the Flathead the snowpack depth is closer to 2 m.