Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Friday

On Saturday expect a mix of sun and cloud, light flurries and moderate/variable winds. On Sunday the region may see an additional 3-8cm of new snow and moderate easterly winds. On Monday, expect a mix of sun and cloud with light winds. Freezing levels should hover around 1300m for the forecast period.

On Wednesday, a size 3 deep persistent slab avalanche was accidentally triggered by a skier in alpine terrain in the north of the region. To our knowledge, nobody was injured in the incident. The slab, which ran on basal facets, was up to 200cm deep, 200m wide and 500m long. There have been a handful of recent similar avalanches triggered on basal facets in the mountains north of Kispiox. Although observations have been limited, I suspect new snow and wind on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday also promoted a round of wind slab activity at treeline and in the alpine.

On Thursday and Thursday night, 3-15cm of new snow fell with the highest accumulations occurring in the southwest of the region. Strong winds shifted the new snow into new wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine adding to an ongoing wind slab problem. A layer of surface hoar from early January can be found in isolated locations between 60 and 140cm down. There hasn't been any activity reported on this layer for a couple of weeks now and it is becoming less of a concern. In shallower areas the snowpack sits on a weak base layer of facetted snow. Recently, this layer has been active in the north of the region, responsible for several large avalanches in unsupported alpine terrain.