Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

Large natural and human-triggered persistent slab avalanches have occurred since Sunday on the persistent weak layer buried in early December. The most concerning area has been in the Goat Range.A recent avalanche, classified as a size 1.5 persistent slab, was triggered by a vehicle northwest of Kaslo on Friday. The slide occurred below treeline. This problem is slowly starting to improve, but deserves patience and continued vigilance.

A thin crust overlies 20 to 30 cm of soft snow in most areas. This sits on a layer of surface hoar in isolated locations and a crust on sun-affected slopes.

A persistent weak layer that consists of a crust with overlying facets and/or surface hoar, is buried 90 to 120 cm. While this layer is widespread, it is expected to be most problematic on north through east-facing slopes between 1700 and 2300 m.

At treeline, snow depths range from 100 to 180 cm.

Sunday night

Cloudy 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Monday

Scattered cloud. 10 to 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny. 20 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
• Use conservative route selection and resist venturing into complex terrain.
• Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.
• Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.