Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Babine, East Stikine, Hudson Bay, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, Northwest Inland, Telkwa.
Expect hard wind slabs to linger in exposed alpine terrain. While numerous buried weak layers demand careful terrain selection.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
The recent cold weather has tightened and stabilized the upper snowpack, reducing the number of avalanche activity.
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 in the Telkwa area from Friday.
If you are out in the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.
Snowpack Summary
Recent strong winds have stripped northerly aspects throughout the alpine, redistributing the snow into pockets of wind slab on lee, southerly terrain. While at lower elevations a widespread, supportive, melt-freeze crust exists on the surface up to roughly 1900 m and has prevented the wind from transporting much snow.
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
Sunday night
Clear, no precipitation. Treeline temperatures 0 to -5 C, with alpine temperature inversion. Moderate northwest alpine winds.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud, with afternoon flurries, 2 to 5 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C. Moderate to strong west alpine winds.
Tuesday
Cloudy with flurries, 2 to 5 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C. Moderate to strong southwest alpine winds.
Wednesday
Cloudy with flurries, 2 to 5 cm. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C. Moderate southwest alpine winds.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
- Expect slab conditions to change drastically as you move into wind exposed terrain.
- Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Firm wind slabs formed during recent strong outflow winds will continue to linger in steep, exposed alpine terrain near ridges and high points.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
A number of buried weak layers remain possible to trigger. These layers appear to be most problematic in upper treeline and alpine elevations, in shallow, variable, rocky start zones.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1.5 - 3