Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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.
Northwest winds have blown our storm snow into wind slabs on lee slopes and cross-loaded features in wind-affected areas. Seek out sheltered areas and lower angled slopes for the safest, best skiing and riding.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
Tuesday night: Mainly clear. Light northwest winds. Wednesday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow, increasing a bit overnight. Light northwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -7. Cooler at lower elevations due to a temperature inversion.Thursday: Cloudy with increasing sunny periods and easing flurries with a trace of new snow. New snow totals up to around 3 cm. Light northwest winds, increasing in the evening. Alpine high temperatures around -7. Cooler at lower elevations due to a lingering temperature inversion.Friday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Moderate to strong northeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -19.
Avalanche Summary
Observations from Monday showed small (size 1) wind slabs releasing naturally from steep, wind loaded pockets in the Howson range.Numerous avalanches were triggered by skiers and naturally within the recent storm snow on the weekend. Check out this MIN report describing widespread slab activity.
Snowpack Summary
Strong northeast winds have redistributed the recent 20 to 40 cm of storm snow in exposed terrain, forming wind slabs. This snow overlies previously wind-affected snow in the high alpine and a widespread melt-freeze crust elsewhere. In the central and northern parts of the region, the storm snow may sit on feathery surface hoar crystals in sheltered terrain at all elevations.In the south of the region, the remainder of the snowpack has been reported as well-settled.Around and north of Hazelton, 50 to 100 cm of snow may overly two weak layers of surface hoar or sugary faceted grains.
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.