Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Babine, East Stikine, Hudson Bay, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, Ningunsaw, North Bulkley, Northwest Inland, South Bulkley, Telkwa, West Stikine.
Practice good group management and ride steep terrain one at a time.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
We haven’t received any reports of avalanches in the past few days. If you are headed into the backcountry please consider filling out a MIN report.
Snowpack Summary
A breakable melt-freeze crust is found on the snow surface everywhere except for due north aspects. Around 20 cm of previous storm snow and southwest wind may have formed wind slabs in lee terrain features in the alpine.
A weak layer of faceted grains and/or surface hoar crystals may be found around 30 to 60 cm deep, particularly on northerly alpine slopes. The weak layer may be close to a hard melt-freeze crust from early April.
A few weak layers deeper in the snowpack in northerly alpine terrain are gaining strength. It remains unlikely to trigger them, but a large load such as a cornice fall could.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
A mix of clear skies and cloud with up to 5 cm of new snow. 15 to 25 km/h southwest alpine wind switching to 20 to 35 km/h northwest alpine wind. Treeline temperature -6°C.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud with up to 2 cm of new snow. 20 to 30 km/h westerly alpine wind. Treeline temperature -2°C.
Tuesday
Sunny. 10 to 35 km/h northeast alpine wind. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.
Wednesday
Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northeast alpine wind. Freezing level rising to 1700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.