Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 13th, 2013 9:46AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs.

Avalanche Canada jlammers, Avalanche Canada

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Trace amounts of new snow / Light to moderate west winds / Freezing level at 1400mFriday: A mix of sun and cloud / Moderate southwest winds / Freezing level at 1900mSaturday: Light snowfall / Light southwest winds / Freezing level at 1500m

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported from the region. I would expect some new snow avalanche activity in the wake of Wednesday's snowfall and moderate winds.

Snowpack Summary

Recent warm weather has left crusty surfaces, particularly on solar aspects, which are now buried by generally light amounts of new snow in the Duffey Lake area and over 20cm on the Coquihalla. These recent accumulations have no doubt been redistributed into wind slabs at higher elevations.A slightly deeper buried crust from around Feb 3th lies approximately 20-40 cm below  the surface. This interface was the focus of recent avalanche activity during the last storm. Activity has since tapered off on this layer; however, snowpack tests still give sudden results, indicating that with the right trigger in specific places (most likely steep convex slopes where there is a buried crust) triggering an avalanche on this layer may still be possible. Down approximately 50-70 cm sits another persistent interface comprising of crusts, facets and surface hoar crystals. This layer is now mostly unreactive, with only one size 2 avalanche reported (on Feb 6th) since the end of January. If it were to be triggered again, the most likely spot would be a steep convex roll on a sheltered north aspect slope around treeline.  The mid and lower snowpack pack layers are generally well settled.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs
Recent snowfall amounts have been highly variable throughout the region with greatest amounts falling in the Coquihalla area. Moderate winds will have redistributed the new snow into deeper slabs in the lee of ridge crests and terrain breaks.
Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>Stay off recent wind loaded areas until the slope has had a chance to stabilize.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 4

Valid until: Feb 14th, 2013 2:00PM