Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 28th, 2025–Mar 1st, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

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

Recent avalanche activity indicates an unstable snowpack & remote-triggering remains a serious concern.

Stick to conservative terrain and practice good travel habits.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

In the past few days, many natural and rider-triggered wind slab and persistent slab avalanches have been reported, up to size 3.

Evidence indicates wind slabs and persistent weak layers remain primed for human triggering. Similar activity is expected on Saturday with continued wind, warming, and potential for strong sun.

Snowpack Summary

20 to 50 cm of settling storm snow rests on a weak layer of facets or surface hoar, while elsewhere it overlies a widespread crust. At lower elevations and on sun-exposed slopes, warm temperatures and solar radiation resulted in a crust or moist snow on the surface. Additional weak layers formed in January are found at varying depths within the upper 100 cm of snow. These include weak faceted snow, sun crusts on south-facing slopes, and surface hoar in shaded terrain. Otherwise, the mid and lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Partially cloudy. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with up to 5 mm of precipitation. 15 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 30 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
Remote triggering is a concern; avoid terrain where triggering overhead slopes is possible.
Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
Even brief periods of direct sun could produce natural avalanches.
Stay away from steep slopes, open slopes, and convex rolls at and below treeline where weak layers may be preserved.

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.