Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Thursday

The arctic air mass that has be sitting over much of BC for the last week is starting to retreat as a series of storm fronts drive warmer air into the province. Expect isolated flurries light winds from the southwest on Wednesday. The precipitation will intensify slightly on Thursday with southwest winds at ridgetop strengthening through the day. Friday will see a brief clearing with sunny periods and light winds.

A large avalanche was recently reported as having failed on or close to the ground in the southern Cascades. This may be an isolated incident but could be indicative of a more widespread weakness at the base of the snowpack in the Alpine.

Snowpack depths vary greatly across the region with 160cm at treeline in the Cascades but 50 cm along the Duffy. Terrain below treeline is still mostly below threshold for avalanche activity.Arctic outflow winds have redistributed the snows that fell last week forming wind slabs on S to SW slopes at treeline and in the alpine. Surface hoar has been growing over the last week in protected locations near tree line while the cold temperatures have driven faceting throughout the snowpack.A few crusts can be found near the ground, especially at higher higher elevations. Cold temperatures may have weakened the snow around these crusts - especially in alpine areas with a thinner snowpack.