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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 20th, 2023–Mar 21st, 2023

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

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

The upper snowpack continues to adjust to the recent spring-like weather. Watch for surface snow turning wet and be wary of cornices.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Wet-loose avalanches to size 1.5, occurring on east-to-south aspects, likely solar-induced, were reported over the weekend.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

A sun crust has formed on all aspects up to 1800 m and solar aspects at all elevations. 20 to 40 cm of dry, unconsolidated powder snow remains on the surface in northerly-facing terrain above 1800 m.

The mid-snowpack is well consolidated.

A layer of weak, sugary facets at the bottom of the snowpack continues to be a lingering concern throughout the region.

Weather Summary

Monday night

Clear with cloudy periods. Treeline temperatures 0 to -5 C. Light southeast ridgetop winds. Freezing levels 800 m.

Tuesday

Sunny. Treeline temperatures around 0 C. Light southeast ridgetop winds. Freezing levels 2000 m.

Wednesday

Sunny. Treeline temperatures around 0 C. Light southwest ridgetop winds. Freezing levels 2000 m.

Thursday

Mix of sun and cloud, with a chance of isolated flurries. Treeline temperatures 0 to -5 C. Light southerly ridgetop winds. Freezing levels 1600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong, especially if snow is moist or wet
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.