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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 3rd, 2025–Jan 4th, 2025

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

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Watch for wind slabs in leeward terrain features at upper elevations. Be wary of thin or rocky start zones where wind slabs may trigger easily over weak grains or a slippery crust.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported since a size 2 wind slab on Tuesday in the Duffey area. It was triggered in a wind-loaded pocket near a ridgetop on a northerly aspect. Check out the MIN report here.

Snowpack Summary

Low density surface snow has likely seen some redistribution by moderate east to southwest winds at upper elevations.

The upper and mid snowpack are generally faceted with a couple of crusts in the top meter. The thin upper crust extends up to 1900 m and is most prominent on solar aspects. The second crust is buried 60 to 100 cm deep and may have a layer of surface hoar sitting above it. There is uncertainty over its reactivity. It is more likely to be a concern in wind-affected, thin, and rocky start zones at higher elevations.

Snow depths at treeline are roughly 100 to 150 cm.

Weather Summary

Friday night

Cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. Southwest ridgetop wind increasing 10 to 30 km/h. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Sunday

5 to 10 cm of snow overnight then clearing. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Monday

Sunny. <10 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.