Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 28th, 2019 4:39PM

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

cgarritty, Avalanche Canada

Cariboos.

Get in, get after it, and get out. Conditions are approaching ideal for tackling bigger objectives, as long as you're savvy about exiting avalanche terrain before the heat of the day.

Summary

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Thursday night: Clear. Light north winds. Friday: Sunny. Light west winds. Alpine high temperatures round -1 with freezing levels to 2000 metres.Saturday: Mainly sunny with cloud increasing in the afternoon and a chance of light flurries overnight. Light southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around 0 with freezing levels to 2100 metres.Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light variable winds. Alpine high temperatures around -1 with freezing levels to 2000 metres.Overnight freezing levels will remain elevated during this period, dropping briefly each night to between 1000 to 1500 metres.

Avalanche Summary

Several natural loose wet and storm slab avalanches were reported in the region on Wednesday. Similar but more numerous reports from neighbouring regions have shown the snow from Tuesday's storm reacting to skier traffic, ski cutting, and explosives control with 10-25 cm-deep slabs propagating easily over previous surface crusts. All aspects were represented in reports, with thicker wind-loaded slabs more prominent on north to east aspects and wet slabs observed on sun-exposed south to west aspects.Looking forward, expect continuing warm, sunny weather to ramp up loose wet avalanche problems with each day's warming cycle.

Snowpack Summary

New sun crusts and temperature crusts are likely to exist on sun exposed aspects at all elevations as well as shaded aspects below about 1800 metres. Below this surface, 10 to 30 cm of recent snow (variable over the region and increasing with elevation) buried a previous surface of melt-freeze crust in most areas above 1500 metres earlier this week. The snowpack below about 1500 metres has been disappearing rapidly under the influence of sustained above freezing temperatures, strong sunshine, and rain. The chance of loose wet avalanches increases each day as these factors break down surface crusts and bring snow to its melting point.The remainder of the snowpack is generally consolidated and strong. Exceptions may exist on north aspects above 2000 m, where a gradually strengthening layer of faceted grains buried 40 to 70 cm deep may still be preserved below an overlying slab of old and hard wind-affected snow.

Problems

Loose Wet

A daily regime of rising temperatures and sunshine will destabilize surface snow over the course of each day, especially on steep, sunny slopes. Larger avalanches become possible during peak warming.

Start and finish early to reduce your exposure to avalanche terrain during the heat of the day.Avoid exposure to terrain traps, where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.This problem may affect shaded aspects where air temperatures exceed 0 degrees.

Aspects: East, South East, South, South West, West.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Wind Slabs

Lingering slabs from Tuesday's storm may remain reactive to human triggers on Friday. This problem is likely to become increasingly confined to steeper, wind loaded slopes at ridgecrest. Sun-exposed aspects may produce wet slabs during peak warming.

Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.Be careful around wind loaded pockets near ridge crests and roll-overs.

Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Mar 29th, 2019 2:00PM