Avalanche Forecast

Poor - Due to limited field observations

Conditions will gradually start to dry out on Friday as a ridge of high pressure builds over the province. Winds should ease to moderate from the NW on Friday morning and remain in the light to moderate range throughout the weekend. A mix of sun and cloud is expected on Saturday. Sunday should be mainly cloudy with a chance of flurries. The freezing level should hover around 600-800m throughout the forecast period.

Recent avalanche control work along the northern highway corridors have produced results up to Size 3, mainly involving the recent storm snow. I suspect a natural avalanche cycle is likely late Thursday and into Friday in response to the forecast cranking winds and 15-30cm of snow.

Very strong SW-NW winds may wreak havoc on the snowpack creating scoured areas and soft or hard wind slabs in exposed lee terrain and cross-loaded gullies or terrain features. Coastal areas are reporting a very deep and strong snowpack - at or near record levels for this time of year. A buried surface hoar layer may be found down 100-150cm near Terrace, but there is no recent information on the presence and sensitivity of this layer.