Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 31st, 2023 4:00PM

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

Avalanche Canada jminifie, Avalanche Canada

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As the storm builds on Wednesday closely monitor how well new snow is bonding to underlying surfaces. Avoid slopes with freshly deposited wind slabs by watching for signs of instability like shooting cracks.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A few small wind slab avalanches were reported across the region on Monday.

Backcountry users continue to report evidence of a significant avalanche cycle during the recent warm, wet, and windy weather early in the week. The majority of these avalanches were wind slabs, however, a number of avalanches stepped down to buried persistent layers, creating large, scary avalanches, like this one nearby in the Telkwa area on Friday.

If you are out in the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.

Snowpack Summary

New snow overlays various wind-affected surfaces in alpine terrain and widespread, supportive, melt-freeze crusts at lower elevations (roughly 1900 m and below). Much of this new snow is being blown into wind slab by southwest winds.

The mid and lower snowpack continues to bond and stabilize while a number of buried weak layers remain a concern and have produced a number of large recent avalanches.

Weather Summary

Tuesday night

Cloudy with light snow, 2 to 5 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C. Moderate southwest winds.

Wednesday

Cloudy with snow, 10 to 15 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 C. Strong southwest alpine winds.

Thursday

Cloudy with snow, 20 to 40 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 C. Strong south winds.

Friday

Cloudy with snow in the alpine, 5 cm. Treeline temperatures +1 C. Strong southwest winds. Freezing levels rising to 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

As the storm builds through Wednesday, new wind slabs will form in lee and cross loaded features. These wind slabs will likely be quite reactive given the surfaces they are forming on.

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Likely - Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Persistent Slabs

A number of buried weak layers remain possible to trigger. These layers appear to be most problematic in in shallow, variable snow depth, rocky start zones. Wind slab avalanches could step down and trigger these deeper layers.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1.5 - 3.5

Valid until: Feb 1st, 2023 4:00PM