Avalanche forecast

Purcells

Jan 1 – 2, 2016Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Travel with care in the backcountry. Riders have triggered 2 large avalanches west of Kimberly and 1 near Golden in the past week

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Recent changes in wind direction will have given us both soft and hard wind slabs on most aspects, pay close attention as you transition into new terrain, especially at tree line and above.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–4
    Skiers have triggered four large persistent slab avalanches in the last couple of weeks. The culprit is surface hoar from early December down 40-60 cm. It exists at different elevations in parts of the region, but it is definitely out there!

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Warm upper elevation temperatures combined with strong solar effect set the stage for loose sluffs out of steep terrain. These could be big enough to injure or bury a rider.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

A modified, dry arctic air mass remains over the much of the province. Expect valley fog in the morning at lower elevations and sunshine in the alpine for most of the interior of BC.  Moderate temperatures aloft, with above freezing layers of warm air, will pass through the Province during the weekend.For more in-depth weather information, check out: http:www.avalanche.ca/weather

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, a skier triggered a size 2.5 slab on a NW aspect at about 2500 m near Golden. It is thought to have failed on the early Dec. persistent weak layer, down 30-60 cm. There has also been activity clustered in a region to the west of Kimberley. On Tuesday, a skier triggered a size 2 persistent slab. Last Sunday, a skier triggered a size 3 slab. Skiers also remotely triggered a size 2 slab the week before. These all failed on the early December surface hoar layer and were on all aspects between 1600 m and 2100 m. Small loose dry avalanches and cornice falls have also been reported.

Snowpack Summary

Conditions are variable across the Purcells.  In the south (west of Kimberley), a prominent layer of large buried surface hoar is reactive to human triggers. In this part of the region, it is buried down 40 cm with a cohesive slab above it. Further north, it is 60-120 cm down and has been sporadically reactive to skiers on NW facing alpine slopes near Golden. At alpine elevations, this interface exists as a surface hoar/ facet layer sitting on a crust. The lower snowpack is generally considered to be well settled.New and old wind slabs may be found in the lee of ridges and ribs on a variety of slopes.

Regions covered