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

Nov 25th, 2024–Nov 26th, 2024

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 Columbia, South Okanagan, West Purcell, Badshot-Battle, Goat, Gold, North Okanagan, Retallack, Valhalla, Whatshan.

Fresh and reactive wind slabs may form at treeline and above as westerly winds increase on Tuesday.

Sheltered terrain features will hold the best riding conditions.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Reports over the last 3 days suggest limited reactivity of the settling storm snow to riders. Explosive control on Saturday produced several size 1-1.5 wind slabs on south-facing slopes. As winds pick up from the west, expect more reactive wind slabs to form near ridgelines on east-facing slopes.

Observations remain limited this early in the season. if you head into the backcountry, please post to the Mountain Information Network!

Snowpack Summary

30-40 cm of settling snow can be found in sheltered terrain features, while exposed areas may hold wind affected surfaces at treeline and above.

In some areas, a crust, with facets, or surface hoar may be buried 40-70 cm deep. While this layer is not currently considered problematic as we have not seen test results or recent avalanches on this layer - observations are currently limited and it may become a concern.

Treeline snowpack depths are around 120-160 cm, and many below treeline slopes are above threshold to produce avalanches.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Cloudy with flurries possible. Westerly ridge top winds, 15-30 km/hr. Treeline temperatures around -6 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy, possibly clearing late afternoon. 20-40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Freezing levels rise to 800 m, treeline temperatures reach -4 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. 20-40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -8 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5-15 cm of snow. 30-50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.

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.