Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.

Sunday night: Cloudy, 5-15 cm of snow, strong ridgetop winds shift from southwest to northwest, treeline low temperature near -12 C, freezing level drops to 100 m.

Monday: Cloudy with sunny breaks, isolated flurries with up to 5 cm of new snow, light northwest winds gusting to moderate at ridgetops, treeline high temperatures near -10 C, freezing level rising to 600 m. 

Tuesday: Sunny, no precipitation expected, light northwest winds, treeline high temperatures near -11 C, freezing level near 300 m.

Wednesday: Cloudy, scattered flurries with up to 5 cm of snow, moderate west winds, treeline high temperatures near -9 C, freezing level near valley bottom. 

Avalanches in the new snow remain likely to trigger on Monday. 

There were few observations on Sunday. One operator in the south of the region reported several small (size 1) wet loose avalanches releasing naturally at lower elevations. 

Reports from the region are limited. If you head out into the mountains, please share any observations or photos on the Mountain Information Network.

 

On Sunday, areas along the Duffey picked up 15-20 cm of new snow, while areas along the Coquihalla received up to 5 cm. Another 10-20 cm of snow is forecast to accumulate by Monday afternoon. The new snow is expected to form a widespread reactive storm slab problem that is particularly concerning where it sits over a layer of surface hoar. This layer has been reported in areas near Pemberton up to 1900 m and around the Coquihalla up to 1200 m. There is uncertainty as to whether the warm midday temperatures on Sunday were enough to break down the surface hoar in the south of the region. Stay disciplined with terrain selection, and closely monitor the bond of the new snow to previous snow surfaces. Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.

Winds have been strong to extreme from the southwest, redistributing the new snow into stiffer wind slabs at upper elevations. Winds are forecast to shift to northwest overnight and ease to moderate. Anticipate changing slab conditions as you move into wind-exposed terrain on a variety of aspects.

Deeper in the snowpack, it is possible to find a crust/facet layer from December that is buried down 100-150 cm. This layer is most prominent between 1700-2100 m and is currently classified as dormant; although large loads such as a cornice failure or avalanches in motion may still be able to trigger avalanches on this layer.

• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
• Be aware of the potential for larger than expected storm slabs due to the presence of buried surface hoar.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.