Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 28th, 2014 8:16AM

The alpine rating is low, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Deep Persistent Slabs.

Avalanche Canada triley, Avalanche Canada

Some thin new wind slabs are expected to develop with the forecast new snow. New snow is not expected to bond well to the old hard surface where surface hoar and/or facets exist.

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Weather Forecast

Overnight and Wednesday: Overcast with light Southwest winds and 3-5 cm of snow above about 700 metres elevation. Freezing level is expected to continue to lower during the day down to about 500 metres as light precipitation continues.Thursday: Continued light precipitation bringing 3-5 cm of snow to all elevations. Moderate Northwest winds becoming light Westerly.Friday: Gradual clearing during the day as the precipitation ends. Freezing level expected to remain at valley bottoms as cooler arctic air moves in from the North.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches reported.

Snowpack Summary

Below freezing temperatures have created a solid melt-freeze crust at all elevations and on most aspects. Sheltered North aspects in the alpine may have stayed dry and now have facetted surface snow. New snow may not bond to the old surface where surface hoar has grown at and below treeline. In the alpine the new snow may not bond to the crust depending on the timing of the cooling. There continues to be a concern for deeply buried layers of weak facetted crystals, this is mostly a concern on slopes with a shallow and variable snowpack in the Duffey Lake and Chilcotin areas.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Deep Persistent Slabs
Deeply buried weak layers of facetted crystals continue to be a concern on slopes with a shallow snowpack.
Be aware of the potential for large, deep avalanches.>Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

3 - 6

Valid until: Jan 29th, 2014 2:00PM