Avalanche Forecast

Moderate -

Friday: Low of -17 at 1500m. No new snow expected and moderate Southwest winds.

Saturday: A storm arrives bringing 15 to 30cm of new snow with the highest snowfall in the Southwest corner of the forecast region. Winds will be strong from the Southwest. High of -10 at 1500m.

Sunday: High of -11 at 1500m. light snow in the morning. Strong Southwest winds in the morning becoming light in the afternoon.

Monday: No new snow expected. Moderate wind from the Southwest and a high of -16 at 1500m.

One natural size 2.5 was observed in the Monashees on Wednesday on a West aspect at 2150m. This avalanche failed on the early December facet/crust combo. The crown was one meter deep, a good indicator of the high consequences of triggering this layer.

The incoming weather will form new wind slab in the alpine and treeline. 

The defining feature of the snowpack is a widespread crust that reaches as high as 2200m and now sits 60-120 cm below the surface. In some places overlying snow is well-bonded to the crust but in others weak faceted grains have been observed above it. The facets above the crust are most prominent at treeline where the crust is thinner. We expect the incoming weather to increase the likelihood of triggering this layer.

Average snowpack depth at treeline is 250cm.

• Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a persistent slab.
• In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.