Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

TUESDAY NIGHT: 5-10 cm of snow, strong wind from the southwest, freezing level dropping to 300 m, alpine temperatures drop to -5 C.WEDNESDAY: Stormy weather starting to ease with another 3-10 cm of snow, moderate wind from the southwest, alpine temperatures steady around -5 C.THURSDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries, light wind, freezing level dropping to valley bottom with alpine high temperatures around -7 C.FRIDAY: Storm passing across southern BC brings just 5-10 cm of snow, strong wind, and alpine high temperatures around -5 C.

Observations have been limited over the past week due to harsh weather conditions, but with the enormous amount of snowfall there have likely been several cycles of natural avalanche activity. Several large natural avalanches (size 2-3) were reported in wind loaded alpine terrain near Stewart on Tuesday. A few smaller natural avalanches (size 1-2) were reported in steep terrain in the Shames area over the past few days.

Over the past week an onslaught of storms has delivered 100-150 cm of snow to the region, with another 5-20 cm of fresh snow possible on Wednesday. Warm temperatures have left the surface snow moist up to roughly 1000 m, which could freeze into a crust with dropping temperatures this week. Strong wind has likely affected open terrain at higher elevations and formed thick wind deposits in lee terrain.All of this storm snow sits above an interface that was a concern during the start of the storm, but the strength of this layer has probably improved substantially over the past week. The interface is composed of surface hoar, facets, and crusts that formed during the dry spell in early December. Deeper in the snowpack, there are several crusts, including an early season crust with facets near the bottom of the snowpack.