Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 16th, 2025–Apr 17th, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Microwave-Sinclair, North Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Dangerous avalanche conditions are expected.

Large persistent slabs may occur with warm temperatures.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

A large avalanche was reported in the Evelyn area on a northeast aspect on Saturday. Check out the details in this MIN.

Snowpack tests continue to show reactivity on buried weak layers, but it's getting hard to pinpoint where they are a problem.

Read a great report from the field team here.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 15 cm of recent snow covers variably wind-affected snow in open terrain at upper elevations. A crust is found up to 2000 m and higher on solar slopes.

Below treeline, depending on overnight refreeze, a surface crust is likely over a wet and unconsolidated snowpack.

Two layers currently exist in the mid-snowpack.

A layer of surface hoar that formed in early March can be found at a depth of 40 to 70 cm.
A layer of facets, surface hoar, and/or a crust from mid-February is buried 60 to 120 cm deep.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Clear skies. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Thursday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +5 °C. Freezing level rising to 3200 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2800 m in the morning, falling to 1500 m by the end of day.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud with 1 to 2 cm of snow. 15 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.