Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 16th, 2017–Feb 17th, 2017

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Cariboos.

Be aware of conditions that change with elevation and expect touchy fresh wind slabs at higher elevations.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY: Unsettled conditions with isolated flurries, moderate becoming light southwesterly winds and freezing levels dropping to 1300 m.SATURDAY: Cloudy with light flurries continuing overnight, light winds and freezing levels around 800 m.SUNDAY: Cloudy with light flurries, light southerly winds and freezing levels around 1000 m.

Avalanche Summary

Reports from Wednesday and Thursday morning are limited, but include one recent natural Size 3 on a north aspect. Over the weekend, several rider triggered avalanches were reported on the MIN including a size 3 that resulted in a full burial. Click here more details (1). (2), and (3). Touchy new wind slabs are likely sensitive to light triggers and have the potential to step down and trigger persistent slab avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

Expect to find 10-15 cm of fresh snow blown into touchy wind slabs at higher elevations, and wet and cohesionless rain-soaked snow at lower elevations, which should soon freeze into a solid crust. Rapidly settling storm snow from last week is still bonding poorly to the previous snow surface from early February, which is now down 40-70 cm and includes a sun crust on steep sun-exposed slopes, faceted snow, as well as surface hoar on sheltered open slopes. The persistent weakness buried mid-January is now down around 80-100 cm and the surface hoar/facet weakness buried mid-December is down 100-150 cm. These deep persistent weaknesses have the potential to wake up and become reactive with the current warm temperatures.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.