Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Blue River, Cariboos, Central Selkirk, Clearwater, Clemina, Esplanade, Gold, Jordan, North Columbia, North Monashee, North Selkirk, Premier, Quesnel, South Columbia.
Expect dangerous avalanche conditions through the weekend.
The new Forecaster Blog outlines how to manage changing conditions.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
We have received a few reports of storm slabs sliding on buried surface hoar.
We expect the frequency and size of avalanches to increase through the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
The new snow has fallen on a variety of old surfaces. There is surface hoar, more prevalent around treeline and below, a crust on sun-facing slopes, and 20 to 30 cm of low-density faceted snow in sheltered areas.
Dry January conditions have created a weak, faceted upper snowpack with multiple surface hoar and crust layers. These layers are a concern with the new snow amounts forecasted.
The mid and lower snowpack remains generally well-settled and strong.
Weather Summary
Friday night
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 10 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 10 km/h east ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature - 15 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 10 km/h east ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -17 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
- Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy snowfall.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm slabs are primed for triggering.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Very Likely
Expected Size: 1.5 - 2.5