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

Feb 27th, 2022–Feb 28th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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 possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Cariboos.

Recent snowfall amounts vary significantly within the region. If you are recreating near Blue River, Albreda or Valemount, make sure to also read the North Columbias avalanche forecast.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the timing, track, & intensity of the incoming weather system. Uncertainty is due to extremely variable snowpack conditions reported through the region.

Weather Forecast

A series of storms are set to be impacting the region in the next few days. Light to moderate snowfalls, rising freezing levels, and warmers temperatures are expected until mid-week.

Sunday night: Flurries up to 5 cm. Freezing level returning to valley bottom. Alpine temperatures around -8 C. Moderate southerly winds.

Monday: Flurries. Freezing level rising to 1400 m. Alpine temperatures around -4 C. Moderate southerly winds, increasing all day to 50 km/h.

Tuesday: Snow 10-15 cm. Freezing level rising to 1600 m. Alpine temperatures around -2 C. Moderate southerly winds gusting 50 km/h.

Wednesday: Snow 5-10 cm. Freezing level rising to 1400 m. Alpine temperatures around -4 C. Moderate southerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Saturday, a small natural wind slab avalanche was triggered by cornice fall near Valemount on a steep alpine slope. Another cornice triggered a very large (size 3) persistent slab avalanche in the same area on a south-facing slope Friday. 

It highlights the fact that wind slabs and persistent slabs remain a concern in this region, although a large load is required to initiate a persistent avalanche. 

Snowpack Summary

About 10-20 cm of fresh snow has fallen Sunday throughout the region, with favoured amounts near Blue River and Albreda. This new snow is now covering a wide variety of surfaces, including heavily wind-affected surfaces on most alpine slopes, fresh wind slabs on any open features, thin sun crust on steep south-facing slopes at all elevations, and widespread large feathery surface hoar crystal on sheltered areas. Below ~1200 m, 25-35 cm of snow is now overlying a thick melt-freeze crust. 

Two weak layers exist within the upper snowpack: the mid-February layer (down 60 to 110 cm) and the mid-January layer (down 90 cm). They both consist of surface hoar / melt-freeze crust. Although reactivity of these layers had tapered off lately, they should be treated with extra caution with this incoming series of snowfalls as they may produce large, unexpected avalanches.

Terrain and Travel

  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

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.