Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations

An advancing cold front is going to bring between 10 and 20 cm of snow over the next couple of days with the greatest accumulations expected for the Blue River area. By Wednesday a high pressure system will settle over BC bringing several days of chilly but stable weather. Winds will be light from the south on Monday, becoming northerly on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I'm working with limited observations but there haven't been any recent reports of avalanche activity in the Caribous or surrounding regions. However, the presence of wind slabs and the lingering basal weakness on north to east facing terrain in the alpine give me concern that smaller wind slab avalanches could possibly step down to deeper layers.

It sounds like people found some great bottomless riding conditions this weekend. The snow forecast for Monday is expected to bond well to the 50 to 80cm of low density snow that fell last week. Below this new snow we're still dealing with a variable early season snowpack. Changes in wind, freezing levels and snowfall amounts mean that the snowpack structure could be dramatically different depending on aspect and elevation. Layers of buried surface hoar or crusts may be found depending on where you dig. It would be wise to test these layers before committing to a slope. At higher elevations in the alpine, facets may be found near the ground, especially on north to east aspects. Remember that although it's starting to look like winter, its still a young snowpack. Rocks and stumps may be lurking unseen just below the surface. Ride with care!