Avalanche Forecast

High -

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly dry with some flurries early in the morning. TUESDAY: Flurries. Light, variable winds. Alpine highs around -18C.WEDNESDAY: Dry, becoming sunny. Light southeasterly winds. Alpine highs around -15C.THURSDAY: A mix of sun and cloud. Flurries starting later on. Light to moderate easterly winds. Alpine highs around -13C.

A snowmobiler died in a large (size 2) slab avalanche on Saturday just outside this region in the North Columbias  (report here). The avalanche was triggered by the rider at 2100 m on a south aspect. The crown fracture varied from 15-100 cm deep, suggesting wind loading was a factor in the incident.On Sunday there was a small human-triggered avalanche was reported from a north aspect at 2100 m. It failed around 35 cm deep on the mid-January surface hoar layer. On Friday avalanches failed on the mid-January surface hoar to size 1 on north and northeast facing slopes between 1700 and 2000 m. Although written several days ago, this MIN post describing conditions in Allen Creek is still relevant.

A touchy weak layer responsible for a several close calls and surprise avalanches lies approximately 50 cm below the surface (30 cm in shallow areas, 60 cm or more in deeper spots). This weak layer was buried mid-January and comprises a mix of surface hoar and facets. On southerly aspects, it lies on top of a sun crust. This is a dangerous weak layer that is shallow enough to be easily triggered but deep enough to produce large avalanches. It is most prevalent at treeline and below treeline elevations, but there have been a few reports of its presence in sheltered areas in the alpine.Strong northerly and easterly winds have created complicated patterns of wind-loaded snow.Average snow depths are approximately 270 cm. Lower layers in the snowpack are not a significant factor at this time.