Cariboos

Be on the lookout for wind slab development with light snow and increasing winds. Keep in mind a problematic layer of surface hoar lingers deeper in the snowpack.

Sporadic reports continue to provide evidence that buried surface hoar layers remain human-triggerable in neighboring regions. Avalanches up to size 2.5 have mostly occurred in treeline and alpine terrain, but have been reported as low as 1950 m.

This Mountain Information Network (MIN) post from neighboring Glacier National Park is a recent example.

Approximately 30 cm of recent snow has buried a layer of surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain. A crust from the early December rain event is buried by roughly 50 cm of snow.

A problematic surface hoar layer is now roughly 50-90 cm below the surface.

The lower snowpack is generally facetted with a hard crust found just above the ground. The snowpack remains unseasonably shallow, with average treeline snow depths around 80 to 120 cm.

Wednesday Night

Cloudy with 2 to 8 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 40 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 2 to 10 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 40 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C.

Saturday

Mostly sunny with no precipitation, northwest alpine winds 10 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.
• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
• Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.