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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 17th, 2025–Jan 18th, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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

North Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for reactive wind slabs, especially in the alpine.

The new load may be the tipping point for deeper instabilities and bigger avalanches.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Changing winds and new snow may build fresh and reactive wind slabs on many aspects by Saturday.

Natural activity may taper but the snowpack could be primed for human triggered avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

By Thursday, there was up to 20 cm of new snow. Strong southwest winds will likely redistribute the storm snow onto leeward slopes, building thicker wind slabs. Changing winds may start to load southerly aspects and have a poor bond in areas (1200–1300 m), where it sits on a crust.

A persistent weak layer composed of facets overlying a crust is buried 50 to 100 cm deep and may be reactive with the new load from snow and wind.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly clear. 20 to 40 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Saturday

Mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Sunday

Cloudy with sunny periods. 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8°C. Freezing level valley bottom. Above freezing layer in the alpine.

Monday

Cloudy with sunny periods. 10 gusting to 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5. Freezing level valley bottom.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • Choose low-angled, sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.

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.

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.