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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 8th, 2023–Feb 9th, 2023

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

Regions

Cariboos, Blue River, Clearwater, McBride, Premier, Quesnel, Sugarbowl, Clemina, North Monashee, Renshaw, Robson.

Continue to choose conservative terrain and watch for signs of instability as strong winds continue to promote slab development in lees throughout the day.

Avoid shallow, rocky snowpack areas where triggering the deep persistent weak layer is still possible.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

The poor visibility over the last few days has kept operators from seeing into higher elevations however on Tuesday, a size one skier accidental avalanche was reported on a northwest feature below treeline.

On Sunday and Monday, several small natural wind slab avalanches were observed, up to size 1.5, at treeline on steep east-facing slopes.

On Saturday, wind slabs were reported to be reactive to skier traffic at treeline. A natural wind slab avalanche, size 2, was reported on an east aspect at 2100 m.

Snowpack Summary

60-100 cm of storm snow from the last week continues to be redistributed by southwest winds. Storm snow sits above a plethora of old snow surfaces including previously wind-affected snow at upper elevations, a sun crust on steep solar aspects, faceted snow, and surface hoar crystals in wind-sheltered terrain.

In the upper meter of the snowpack sits two layers of surface hoar crystals and/or a melt-freeze crust. The surface hoar is most likely found around treeline and lower alpine elevations. The melt-freeze crust is found up to 1800 m on all aspects and into the alpine on sun-exposed slopes.

Large and weak facets from November are near the base of the snowpack and continue to produce very large avalanches in the region.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy. Ridge wind southwest 40-50 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -7 C. Freezing level valley bottom.

Thursday

Partly cloudy with isolated flurries, 2-5 cm accumulation. Ridge wind from the southwest 50 km/h picks up to 70 km/h in the evening. Alpine temperatures rise to -3 C. Freezing level rises to 1400 meters.

Friday

Cloudy with sunny periods isolated flurries, 2-5 cm accumulation. Ridge wind southwest 40-50 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -2 C. Freezing level rises to 1200 meters.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, 2-5 cm accumulation. Ridge wind southwest 40-50 km/h. Alpine temperatures rise to -3 C. Freezing level rises to 1000 meters.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
  • Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
  • Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you're most likely to trigger avalanches failing on deep weak layers.

Problems

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

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.