Avalanche Forecast

Highest snowfall amounts will be on southwest facing slopes in the northern part of the region. Below the freezing level, precipitation will fall as rain.

Saturday night: 5-20 cm new snow. Moderate to strong southwest wind. Alpine temperatures around -6. Freezing levels 1000 m.

Sunday: Partly cloudy with scattered flurries. Light northwest wind. Alpine high temperatures around -5. Freezing level 1500 m.

Monday: Sunny. Light to moderate west wind. Alpine high temperatures around -2. Freezing level 1900 m.

Tuesday: Cloud increasing. Wind increasing to moderate to strong southwest. Alpine high temperatures around -2. Freezing level 2000 m.

No new avalanches were reported in the region over the past couple of days, but reports from the neighboring North Columbias on Wednesday included small (size 1) natural and skier triggered loose wet and slab avalanches on south aspects, running on a recent crust layer. One recent natural size 2 cornice failure was also noted.

A couple of avalanche involvements were reported on Monday. We really appreciate this MIN report of a size 1.5 skier triggered storm slab on a northeast aspect around treeline. Thankfully no one was injured. 

We regret to report a fatality on Eureka Peak, east of Williams Lake on March 29. A human-triggered cornice failure resulted in a size 2.5 slab avalanche. It is important to remember to stay well back from ridgetops that might be corniced and to avoid slopes with overhead cornice exposure especially under the current conditions where recent rapid growth has made them large and fragile.

5-20 cm of new snow arrives overnight with moderate to strong southwest wind. This has likely added to wind affected surfaces and cornices in the alpine and to settled dry snow on sheltered, shaded aspects above about 1900 m. Below this elevation and on solar aspects the new snow dusts crusty surfaces down to 1500 m. Below this elevation, the moist snowpack is quickly diminishing.

Recent warm weather is expected to have helped old persistent weak layers heal, including a few crusts buried over the last month as well as a facet layer 150 cm deep from the mid-February cold snap.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 20 cm of new snow.
• Extra caution is needed around cornices under the current conditions.
• A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.