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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 15th, 2025–Apr 16th, 2025

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

Regions

Cariboos, North Rockies, Blue River, Clearwater, McBride, Premier, Quesnel, Sugarbowl, Clemina, East Kakwa, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Robson, Tumbler.

Higher elevations hold the best riding, but are also where triggering slabs is most likely.

Avoid being below cornices and plan to be out of avalanche terrain before the heat of the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

In the past few days, several natural wind slabs (size 1-2.5) have been reported from north and east alpine terrain, many of them cornice triggered. A few of these avalanches are suspected to have stepped down to buried weak layers, producing avalanches to size 3.5.

Loose wet avalanches (size 1-2) continue to happen on steep south-facing slopes in the afternoon.

Snowpack Summary

Surface conditions vary from dry powder on high-north aspects, a crust or moist snow low down and on south-facing slopes, and hard-wind-affected snow in exposed areas.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally strong, with older weak layers now buried 50 to 200 cm deep. There's a chance large triggers—like cornice failures—could still release deeper layers, especially on high north-facing slopes.

Weather Summary

Tuesday night

A mix of sun and cloud. Isolated light precipitation, less than 1 mm. 20 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature drops to -5 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Wednesday

Partly cloudy with isolated light precipitation. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Thursday

A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +1 °C. Freezing level 2200 m.

Friday

A mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +2 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • The more the snowpack warms up and weakens, the more conservative your terrain selection should be.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present in the snowpack.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.