New snow and wind will continue to build wind slabs in the alpine and tree line elevations. Triggering persistent slabs from thin snowpack areas remains a concern in the north of the region.
Summary
Confidence
Low - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Isolated flurries, accumulations 5-10cm Monday night into Tuesday / Moderate to strong southwest wind / Alpine temperature -5 WEDNESDAY: Isolated flurries / Light to moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -7 THURSDAY: Isolated flurries / Light to moderate south wind / Alpine temperature -6
Avalanche Summary
Most recent avalanche activity has been reported as loose dry surface snow sluffing to size 1 in steep terrain. Friday there was a report of a helicopter remotely triggering a Size 2.5 wind slab from above the slope on a west aspect at 1500 m north of Kispiox. Thursday there was a report of skiers, north of Kispiox, remotely triggering a Size 2-2.5 avalanche from a safe location on a ridge that released on the adjacent slope on a northwest aspect at 1650 m. A weak layer buried late-December was the suspected failure plane.
Snowpack Summary
30-70cm of snow lies over a crust and/or weak feathery surface hoar layer buried in mid-January. The crust exists well into the alpine and the surface hoar can be found in sheltered areas in the lower alpine and tree line elevations. Below, there are two separate crust and/or surface hoar layers that were buried late-December and mid-December. They are 50-80 cm below the surface. In the past week these deeper layers have produced hard but sudden results in snowpack tests and have been the suspected weak layer in recent large remotely (from a distance) triggered avalanches.
mbender,
Avalanche Canada
