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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 28th, 2024–Dec 29th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Cariboos, North Columbia, Blue River, Clearwater, McBride, Premier, Quesnel, Clemina, Esplanade, Jordan, North Monashee, North Selkirk.

Start on small features and check for signs of instability before committing to big terrain.

If your area gets 20 cm or more of new snow overnight, increase the avalanche danger by one level.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, numerous large natural, human, and explosive triggered avalanches were reported in alpine and treeline terrain on most aspects.

The early December persistent weak layer was most problematic in the south end of this region. The last reported avalanche on this layer was a remote trigger on December 22, on a west-facing slope at 2200 m, west of Revelstoke. An avalanche on this layer would be unlikely but large and high consequence.

Snowpack Summary

Expect to find 25 to 60 cm of settling snow in sheltered areas, and wind slabs on lee slopes below peaks and ridgelines. On sun affected slopes, the recent snow covers a melt freeze crust.

A layer of surface hoar, crust and/or facets exists 60-110 cm deep. Reports indicate this layer is hard to find and likely not a concern north of Highway 5. South of Highway 5, no avalanches have been reported on this layer since December 22, but some professional operations have observed concerning results in snowpack tests, and we aren't ready to ignore it just yet. It's most likely to linger on north through east aspects between 1700 and 2300 m.

Snow depth at treeline is 120-150 cm.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Mostly cloudy with up to 8 cm of snow, possible hotspots of 20 cm or more. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with up to 4 cm of snow. Light variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Monday

Mostly cloudy with light flurries. 5 to 15 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy with light flurries. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.