Avalanche Forecast

SATURDAY NIGHT: Overcast. 5-10 cm of snow expected. Moderate southwest winds trending to extreme west at higher elevations. Temperature rising to around -10 C at treeline.

SUNDAY: Clouds breaking, mix of sun and cloud. Possible trace of snow expected. Moderate southwest wind trending to strong at higher elevations. An above freezing layer could result in temperatures above 0C between 1750 m and 2500 m. 

MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Possible trace of snow expected. Moderate south wind trending to extreme at higher elevations. Freezing level around 500 m. 

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy. 0-10 cm of snow expected. Moderate southwest wind, trending to extreme at higher elevations, but tapering over the day. Freezing level around 1200 m.

On Friday, one professional operation reported isolated size 2 storm slab avalanches due to rapid loading in steep, unrideable features. 

No new avalanches were reported on Thursday. Limited visibility in the alpine has restricted observations, but we suspect some natural avalanche activity occurred during the storm.

A large persistent slab avalanche was observed in the region on Dec 29. It was believed to have released naturally around 2200 m on a steep northwest-facing slope. Since then, there has been no reported persistent slab activity.

There are very few reporting operations in this region, so remember that a lack of observed avalanches does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of avalanche activity. If you are getting out in the backcountry, and have conditions information, or even just good vibes and good photos to share, consider making a post on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

The region received 15 to 25 cm of low-density and constant 50 km/h southerly wind since the start of the storm Wednesday night. This new snow adds up to the previous snow (30-70 cm) that has fallen since Jan 1. 

In open terrain, this recent snow has been redistributed by strong winds. Observations suggest this snow has been bonding to the older snow layers in most areas, but there are potentially some exceptions, such as western areas near Barkerville where it may sit above a spotty surface hoar layer. There have also been some isolated reports of buried surface hoar layers 45-80 cm deep in the Barkerville area, but no recent evidence that these layers are problematic.

The early December crust sits 80-150 cm deep in the snowpack, with a layer of faceted crystals above. This interface is present in the southeastern Cariboos (e.g. Clearwater to Blue River) but has not been recently reactive.

• Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
• Start with conservative lines and watch for clues of instability.