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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 1st, 2023–Apr 2nd, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Spring is a dynamic time of year; conditions can vary widely and change rapidly. Localized periods of heavy snowfall may form fresh, reactive storm slabs, while even short periods of strong sun can rapidly destabilize the upper snowpack.

Carefully assess your local conditions and pay attention to how the weather is affecting the snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Prior to this weekend's storm, avalanche activity has mainly consisted of small (size 1) natural and skier-triggered wind slabs on north-facing aspects and a few wet loose avalanches (size 1-2) from steep rocky terrain.

At the time of publishing on Saturday, no new avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 20 cm of new snow arrived in the past 2 days, accompanied by strong southeast, shifting southwest winds. Below the new snow, a melt-freeze crust exists on all aspects at treeline and below, and on solar aspects to the mountain top. On high north aspects dry snow remains.

The mid-snowpack is generally strong but the lower snowpack is a different story.

A weak layer of sugary facets is still prominent at the base of the snowpack. Small surface avalanches and cornice falls are the most likely things to trigger this layer. However, there remains a concern for human triggering in rocky, shallow, or thin-to-thick snowpack areas at treeline and above.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Clear periods with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures drop to a low of -11 °C. Ridge wind southwest 10 to 35 km/h. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud with convective flurries, localized accumulation up to 15 cm. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -6 °C. Ridge wind light from the southeast. Freezing level rises to 1200 metres.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -5 °C. Ridge wind to light from the north. Freezing level rises to 1400 metres.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -5 °C. Ridge wind light from the northeast. Freezing level rises to 1300 metres.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if they have large cornices overhead.
  • Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
  • Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 20 cm of new snow.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.