Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

A series of frontal systems coming in off the coast will bring light precipitation throughout the week.

Wednesday Overnight: Mainly cloudy, light snowfall, up to 5 cm of accumulation. Freezing level dropping to 900 m. Moderate to strong southwest winds. 

Thursday: Cloudy with snowfall, 5-15 cm of accumulation. Freezing level rising to 1500 m. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds. 

Friday: Partially cloudy, light flurries. Freezing level rising to 1500 m in the afternoon. Light to moderate southwesterly winds.

Saturday: Mainly cloudy, light flurries. Freezing level around 1000 m. Light to moderate southwesterly winds. 

Riders may get surprised by widely propagating persistent slabs that are sitting on a weak layer of surface hoar. Remote-triggering is a concern. Be aware of above and adjacent slopes.

Tuesday was an active day for avalanche activity. Throughout the region, operators reported numerous natural and human-triggered storm slabs. These slabs mainly occurred on north-facing (shaded) aspects in the alpine and treeline and failed on a buried weak layer of surface hoar. The most reactivity has been noted near Blue River, Valemont, and south of McBride.

Continued light precipitation will add to 30-60 cm of recent settling storm snow at treeline and above. Storm snow tapers rapidly below treeline, where moist snow or a melt-freeze crust can be expected from rain and warm temperatures.

This new snow is sitting on various surfaces, including hard wind-affected snow, sun crusts on southerly slopes, facetted snow, and isolated pockets of surface hoar. The new snow is bonding poorly to this old surface, especially where a facet/crust layer or surface hoar is present below.

The lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong in most areas, with prominent crust layers 50 to 100 cm deep. No recent persistent slab avalanches have been reported on these layers.

• Conservative terrain selection is critical, choose only well supported, low consequence lines.
• Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.
• Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
• Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
• Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.