Avalanche Forecast

On Tuesday a loose wet avalanche cycle was reported on all aspects, but confined to terrain below 1800m and on terrain steeper than 35 degrees.

On Monday, there were several small to large (up to size 2) rider triggered and natural avalanches reported, generally wind slabs in north or northeast facing high alpine terrain.

On Saturday, north of Revelstoke there was a large (size 3) persistent slab avalanche triggered by a helicopter landing at 2300 m on a northeast aspect.

A frozen crust has form on the surface, possibly as high as 2500 m. 5-15 cm of new snow may be on the surface at high elevations in the north end of the forecast area.

In general, 20 to 40 cm of settling snow snow sits on surface hoar crystals that were buried in late March. Under that is a hard melt freeze crust on all aspects and elevations other than north facing alpine.

Weak faceted grains above a hard crust that formed in early February are buried around 100 to 150 cm deep. This layer is generally getting stronger, and in most places it is shielded by crusts above, but it is still occasionally producing large avalanches.

Wednesday Night

Cloudy. No new snow expected. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level around 1000 m. Treeline low around -4 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high around -1 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 0-3 cm of snow expected above 1000 m. Light to moderate northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline high around -4 °C.

Saturday

Partly cloudy. No new snow expected. Light northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline high around -1 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
• Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
• Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
• Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.