Avalanche Forecast

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Overnight and Wednesday: Very light precipitation combined with light to moderate Southwest winds and freezing levels dropping down to valley bottoms.Thursday: 5-10 mm of precipitation is expected in the Western parts of the region, and 3-5 mm closer to Smithers. The wind is expected to increase to strong values from the Southwest. Freezing level should remain at valley bottom.Friday: Continued very light precipitation with strong Westerly winds during the day becoming very strong Southwest winds by evening.

Report from Ashman Ridge stated that there was no evidence of any early season avalanches. The parts of this region that traditionally get the most snow are reporting that their snowpack is still very shallow and that avalanches are unlikely due to lack of snow.

Report from Ashman Ridge that the height of snow at ridgetop 1600 metres elevation was 50 cm. There was a great deal of wind effect reported from this part of the region, resulting in pockets of snow that were about 75 cm deep and cornice development considered to be unusual for this area. The thin snowpack was considered supportive to the weight of skiers. The early season crust in this area was described as being right on the ground and contained to the surface roughness. The few reports we have received suggest there is little snow across the region. One operator is reporting 50cms of snow at 1100m. The region has seen its fair share of wind in the past week and spatial variability in snow depth likely exists. By and large, most of the region is below threshold except for where the wind may have re-distributed snow into pockets of wind slabs. Keep in mind these pockets of snow that may be enticing to ride are the same slopes that may be the most likely to slide.