Avalanche Forecast
Regions: North Okanagan, Shuswap, South Okanagan.
Watch for pockets of wind slab on all aspects in the alpine. Practice good travel habits and think about what's below you.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Sunday several small dry loose avalanches and a small storm slab were reported near Sun Peaks.
Snowpack Summary
Alpine terrain is wind-affected, while sheltered areas hold soft snow. Cold temperatures may be facetting the upper snowpack,
A layer buried in early December is 50 to 70 cm deep. This layer varies, in the north of the region in sheltered spots its surface hoar while in the south its typically a crust.
The lower snowpack is strong and settled south of Highway 1, and potentially weaker and more faceted north of Highway 1.
The snowpack is 100-150 cm deep at treeline.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with up to 1 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with up to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- The snowpack is generally stable; it may be appropriate to step out into more complex terrain.
- Be careful with sluffing in steep terrain, especially above cliffs and terrain traps.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind from the north may have created wind slabs in unexpected spots.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5