Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 8th, 2023–Mar 9th, 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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Cariboos, Blue River, Clearwater, McBride, Premier, Quesnel, Sugarbowl, Clemina, North Monashee, Renshaw, Robson.

Solar input this time of year can have a huge effect on the snowpack. Avoid solar slopes during the heat of the day.

Triggering large slab avalanches remains possible in steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas.

Sheltered and shaded terrain will offer the best and safest riding.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Monday and Tuesday saw periods of intense solar input. This caused several cornices to fail. These occurred in the alpine and the impact that some of them had on the slopes below, caused the slope below them to avalanche.

Helibombing on Monday was able to trigger the deep persistent slab, creating avalanches up to size 4. These were in the alpine and the layer that was released was typically 150 cm down.

Over the weekend, a few natural and skier-triggered wind slabs (size 1 to 2) were reported from south, southwest, and east-facing alpine terrain as northerly winds impacted the region. One large (size 2.5) deep persistent slab was triggered by a cornice failure in very steep north-facing alpine terrain.

Snowpack Summary

A sun crust can be found on steep south-facing aspects. Surface hoar growth has been reported in sheltered areas. Shifting winds have redistributed last week's storm snow into wind slabs on a variety of aspects. This storm snow sits over wind-affected surfaces and a thin sun crust on steep south-facing slopes.

The mid-snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.

The November facets are still prominent at the base of the snowpack. Although this layer is showing signs of rounding, there is a significant difference in resistance between it and the overlying snow. These facets are most pronounced in shallow rocky areas.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Clear, no accumulation, winds easterly 10 to 15 km/h, treeline temperatures around -10 °C.

Thursday

Sunny, no accumulation, winds southeast 10 to 15 km/h, treeline temperatures -10 to -5 °C.

Friday

A mix of sun and cloud, trace accumulation, winds northeast 25 km, treeline temperatures around -10 °C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud, trace accumulation, winds easterly 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperatures -12 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.