Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 1st, 2024–Mar 2nd, 2024

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

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

Persistent slabs continue to be primed for rider triggering even though natural avalanche activity has tapered off. Stick to low consequence terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Numerous large to very large natural and human triggered persistent slab avalanches continue to be reported through the latter part of the week. Many of the human triggered avalanches have been reported as remotely triggered (from a distance). This speaks to the sensitivity of the persistent slab.

As natural avalanche activity tapers, the snowpack will remain primed for rider-triggered avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

70 to 110 cm of recent snow sits on a variety of layers that it may not bond well to, including surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain, weak facets, or a hard melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed south and west-facing slopes. Numerous recent avalanche observations indicate the fresh snow is not bonding well to these layers. The wind has likely formed thicker deposits in lee terrain features near ridges.

A thick and hard widespread crust that formed in early February is buried 50 to 100 cm deep and is found up to around 2400 m. This crust may have a layer of facets above it, which makes it a troublesome avalanche layer.

The remainder of the snowpack is settled.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy with 1-3 cm of snow. 15 to 25 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud and isolated flurries. 15 to 25 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 15 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Shooting cracks, whumphs and recent avalanches are strong indicators of an unstable snowpack.
Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low-angle, well-supported terrain with no overhead hazard.

Problems

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.

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.