Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 2nd, 2012 9:21AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs, Storm Slabs and Cornices.

triley, Avalanche Canada

South Coast.

Summary

Confidence

Good - -1

Weather Forecast

There is a band of warm air at higher elevations that may keep temperatures in the alpine quite warm overnight; probably about -3.0 at 2500 metres. Clear skies should allow the valleys to get slightly below freezing. Friday is expected to be warm with light southerly winds and mostly sunny skies. Temperatures should drop to near freezing in the valley bottoms overnight. Light upslope precipitation is expected to bring trace amounts of snow on Saturday. Sunday is expected to be mostly clear with light winds and freezing levels up to about 1200 metres.

Avalanche Summary

Some loose dry sloughing from shaded slopes in the alpine. A large natural ice release occurred on Wednesday on Mount Joffre. No reports of avalanches from the Coquihalla area.

Snowpack Summary

Thin sun crusts are developing on steep solar aspects. The recent storm snow continues to settle and bond in the Duffey Lake area due to the warm temperatures and light winds. Recent cornice growth may be easy to trigger with light loads or from solar radiation. The Coquihalla area is also experiencing warm temperatures and light winds. The freezing level briefly went up to 1700 metres on Thursday. The new storm slab in this area is between 50-80 cm, and the snowpack depth is close to 4 metres.

Problems

Wind Slabs

New windslabs are expected to settle and bond with forecast warm temperatures and light winds.

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 4

Storm Slabs

Storm slabs are expected to settle and bond due to warm temperatures over the next few days. Some pockets of cold dry snow on shaded slopes in the alpine may become easy to trigger when freezing levels rise on Friday.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 5

Cornices

High winds, moderate temperatures and recent snow will have added to a cornice problem. Cornice fall will be easy to initiate and can become a trigger for the slope below.

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

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

2 - 5

Valid until: Feb 3rd, 2012 3:00AM