Avalanche Forecast
Regions: North Okanagan, Shuswap, South Okanagan.
Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making are essential. Recent snow overlies various layers that could produce slab avalanches on steep terrain features.
Confidence
Low
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been observed or reported in this region.
Potential for skier-trigger avalanches are likely to be found on terrain features that harbor additional snow such as just below ridgetops and on steep wind-loaded slopes.
Snowpack Summary
Early season conditions exist with low snow amounts and crusts found at lower elevations. A deeper and drier snowpack exceeding 1 m is found at treeline and alpine elevations.
Around 65 cm of snow overlies a weak layer that formed mid-November that consists of sugary faceted grains, weak surface hoar crystals in sheltered terrain features, and a hard crust on steep sun-exposed slopes. The lower snowpack presents as well settled.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with flurries and 1 to 5 cm, light wind from the northeast, treeline temperatures -10 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with snowfall, accumulations of 1 to 5 cm, 70 km/h wind from the southwest, treeline temperature -16 °C.
FridayClear sky, no forecast precipitation, 10 km/h variable wind, treeline temperature -20 °C.
SaturdayCloudy with snowfall, accumulations of 5 to 10 cm, 10 to 30 km/h wind from the southeast, treeline temperature rising to -10 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
Avalanche Problems
Loose Dry
60 cm of unconsolidated snow is easily triggered and will gain mass. Steep terrain exceeding 30 degrees would likely be the zone to trigger these avalanches. Even a small loose dry avalanche can push a mountain traveler over cliff features and into the numerous hazards that exist due to the early season low coverage. Manage your sluff appropriately.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Storm Slabs
Around 60 cm of recent snow overlies various layers which formed mid-November, including surface hoar, faceted grains, and a hard crust. The recent snow may not bond well to these layers.
Wind may have redistributed the storm snow at high elevations, forming isolated wind slabs in lee terrain features.
Avalanche hazard is unlikely at lower elevations where snowpack depths have yet to overcome ground roughness like brush and rocks.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5