Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Regions
South Columbia.
Confidence
Poor - Due to the number and quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
A high pressure system will continue to dominate over southern BC with no precipitation expected through till Thursday. Warm temperatures aloft will gradually be replaced by more seasonal cooler conditions in the next few days.
Avalanche Summary
No reports of recent avalanche activity have been received. This may speak more to the lack of reported observations rather than actual conditions. If you have information please feel free to contact us at: [email protected]
Snowpack Summary
Recent storm snow continues to settle and is gaining strength with time and warm temps. Wind slabs linger in lee terrain. Surface hoar buried in early November exists in the mid snowpack but due to a lack of data little is known about its reactivity and distribution. The October crust/facet interface buried near the base of the snowpack is still a concern. Surface hoar continues to develop in sheltered north aspects.
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.
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.