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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 3rd, 2023–Apr 4th, 2023

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

Regions

Northwest Inland, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, Ningunsaw, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

April sun can pack a punch. Avoid areas in full sun during the heat of the day.

Sheltered, shady slopes at higher elevations offer the best spring riding.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday there was a report of a skier-controlled wind slab in the alpine.

A small storm slab was triggered by a skier on an east aspect in the alpine in the Howson Range Saturday.

Snowpack Summary

Over the weekend, up to 20 cm of new snow has fallen on a melt-freeze crust on sunny slopes, or over cold snow on shady slopes in the alpine. In most areas at treeline you will find only a trace of new snow over a crust.

This new snow may have been redistributed by northwest and southwest winds, building wind slabs on lee slopes in isolated areas.

The middle of the snowpack is strong and contains numerous hard crusts. Near the ground, weak faceted crystals exist. There hasn't been avalanche activity on this layer recently, but it remains on our radar as it may become active with abrupt changes to the snowpack, such as rapid loading (heavy snowfall or rain) or prolonged warming.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Clear with cloudy periods, trace accumulation, winds northwest 15 km/h, treeline temperatures -5 °C.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud, no accumulation, winds southerly 15 km/h, treeline temperatures -5 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy, 5 cm accumulation, winds southwest 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperatures around -5 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy, 5 to 10 cm accumulation, winds southwest 25 km/h gusting to 50, treeline temperatures 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.