Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. Ridge wind light to moderate, northeast. Temperature -10. Freezing level valley bottom.SATURDAY: Mostly sunny. Ridge wind light, southwest. Temperature near 0. Freezing level 1600 m.SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. Ridge wind light, north. Temperature -6. Freezing level valley bottom.

A widespread natural avalanche cycle occurred in the Terrace and Shames areas during Wednesday's storm with reports of numerous storm slab avalanches up to size 2 running far and fast in the new snow at all elevations.Tuesday there were reports of two skier triggered size 1 wind slab releases just northwest of Terrace, where a soft slab up to 35 cm deep had formed on wind-loaded features.Monday evidence of a natural avalanche cycle from size 2.5 - 3.5 was reported on north to south aspects between 1000-1700 m, west of Terrace, with several persistent slabs suspected to have failed on the mid or early January layers during the height of the weekend's storm.On the weekend persistent slab activity was reported north of Meziadin Junction where a natural size 4 and a natural size 3.5 were observed on a southwest and northeast aspect at 1800-2000 m and are suspected to have failed on the mid-January layer.

Wednesday's storm delivered another 30-50 cm of new snow, and a mix of rain and freezing rain for areas west of Terrace, bringing storm snow totals of over 100 cm in the last 10 or 12 days for the Terrace area. Northern areas have seen about 50-70 cm of recent storm snow.Beneath the storm snow lies a 5-20 cm thick crust that was buried early February and can be found 60-110 cm below the surface on all aspects up to 1400 m. A weak layer buried in mid-January is 120-150 cm below the surface and remains a concern. In most areas this layer is a crust, but it may also be surface hoar in sheltered areas at treeline and below. This layer produced a few human triggered avalanches throughout the region over the past week, and may remain reactive as it adjusts to the weight of the new snow.In thinner snowpack areas (north and inland), deeper crust / surface hoar layers that were buried in December and early January may still be a concern as well. They are buried over 150 cm below the surface, but may still be triggerable from shallow spots.