Avalanche Forecast

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Thursday: Snow increasing throughout the day with 20-30cm possible by the end of the day. Rapidly rising freezing levels shouldn't get any higher than about 1000m and southerly winds are expected to increase to extreme by the end of the day. Friday: Another 15-20cm of snow tapering off throughout the day.Freezing levels hovering around 1000m and strong SW winds. Saturday: Continued moderate to heavy snowfall, strong southwesterly wind and freezing levels remaining around 1000m.

Reports from yesterday include several whumpfs between 1130m to 1425m elevation, and one size 1 dry slab from a roadside cut bank. Avalanche activity is expected in alpine and open treeline areas during and immediately after stormy periods. Explosives control last weekend produced a couple of 30cm deep size 1.5-2 storm slab avalanches.

Total snowpack depth are probably close to a metre in most treeline areas and deeper but more variable in the alpine, while below treeline areas are probably still below threshold depths for avalanches. Recent reports include hard shears within the upper low density snowpack and continued wind slab development from northerly and easterly winds. Weak facets have been found near the base of the snowpack, with an associated crust in some areas. Check out the Skeena/Babine discussion forum for more information.