Avalanche Forecast

A naturally-triggered cornice fall avalanche, sized 1.5, was reported southwest of Nelson. It was suspected to have occurred last Thursday or Friday.

With the current weather forecast and snowpack conditions, we foresee both natural and human-triggered avalanches to remain unlikely.

If you venture into the backcountry, please consider submitting your observations to the MIN.

A sun crust caps the snowpack on steep south-facing slopes, while new surface hoar is forming in many areas. Wind-affected snow is widespread in open, upper-elevation terrain.

In sheltered terrain, 10–30 cm of snow overlays a layer or in some cases, several layers of surface hoar buried fairly close together. These layers may be deeper on wind-loaded slopes.

An older weak layer from early December, consisting of a surface hoar/facet/crust combination, is buried 50 to 120 cm. Snowpack tests and the absence of recent activity indicate it is no longer a significant concern.

The lower snowpack is generally strong and bonded.

Sunday Night

Clear. 20 to 40 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -18 °C.

Monday

Sunny. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C, with a possible temperature inversion.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly sunny. 15 to 25 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• The snowpack is generally stable; it may be appropriate to step out into more complex terrain.
• Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.