Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Synopsis: A series of slow moving frontal systems will move through the BC interior.Tonight: Cloudy with flurries, possible 10 to 15cm of precipitation, freezing level will rise to 1200m and stay there overnight. Winds light, gusting moderate to strong from the south west.Sunday: Cloudy with flurries, no precipitation in the forecast, freezing level may rise close to 2000m, winds light, gusting to moderate from the south west.Monday:  Cloudy with flurries, 5 to 10cm of precipitation in the forecast, freezing levels rise  to 2500m and winds should be light to moderate from the south west.Tuesday:  Cloudy with flurries, light to locally moderate precipitation, 10 to 15cm in the forecast, freezing levels around 2500m, winds from the south light to moderate.

Reports of large avalanches have dropped off, but sluffing of new snow in steep terrain is being reported on all aspects.A low probability, high consequence avalanche problem persists in the Columbia regions. Smaller avalanches have been reported stepping down to old, deeply buried weak layers and producing very large avalanches. Solar input is a big factor as spring progresses. Watch out for large mature cornices!

Recent warm temperatures have resulted in good settlement and bonding of the storm snow from earlier in the week, but wind slabs may still be touchy on north and east aspects.Three persistent weaknesses contribute to a highly variable snow pack with the possibility of triggering deeper instabilities. The mid-March sun crust/surface hoar layer down 50-80cm still has potential for human-triggering in isolated areas. The early-March crust/facet/surface hoar layer down around 80-120cm has become less susceptible to triggering by light loads, but still has the ability to produce large avalanches, we continue to hear reports of avalanches stepping down to this layer. The mid-February crust/facet/surface hoar layer is typically down at least 1.5m and one operator has reported it at 210cm! Direct triggering of this layer has become unlikely, however, al large load like cornice failure or a smaller avalanche gaining mass might still trigger this layer and produce a very large avalanche.