Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

On Tuesday freezing levels are expected to rise as high as 1800 m while a Pacific frontal system is expected to bring 10-20 mm of precipitation and strong southwesterly alpine winds. Wednesday is looking slightly drier and cooler with 5-10 mm of precipitation and freezing levels around 1600 m as the alpine winds shift to moderate southeasterlies. At this point, Thursday is looking totally dry as freezing levels drop back down to valley bottoms and winds ease off.

There are no new avalanche reports from the region. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Email us at [email protected].

Recent reports describe a shallow, highly variable, and wind affected snowpack with an average snow depth of 60 to 100 cm at treeline elevations. There are two distinct crusts in the snowpack; the upper crust is down 15-25cm in sheltered areas and is the current layer of concern. It's surrounded by weak faceted snow and has been giving easy test results with sudden shears and collapses. In some areas the lower crust was found just below the upper crust with weak faceted snow in between, while elsewhere the lower crust is just off the ground. The highly variable and wind-affected nature of the snowpack means that slopes on the leeward side of ridge crests and terrain breaks will have significantly deeper and more hazardous slabs overlying these weaknesses. Check out the Bulkley Valley Ski Society Facebook page for recent observations from the Hankin and Evelyn areas.