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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 29th, 2023–Mar 30th, 2023

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

Regions

North Columbia, South Columbia, Esplanade, Jordan, North Selkirk, Shuswap, Badshot-Battle, Central Selkirk, Goat, Gold, Kokanee, North Okanagan, Retallack, Valhalla, Whatshan.

It will likely still be warm with a mix of sun and cloud on Thursday. If the sun stays out for an extended time think about an increase in the likelihood of loose wet avalanches running in steep terrain facing the sun.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Recent reports include a few wet loose avalanches to size 1.5 and 2 in the alpine on solar aspects.

Snowpack Summary

There is likely a thin crust on steep slopes facing the sun right up into the alpine. Any recent new snow has been redistributed by northeast winds. On high north-facing terrain wind slabs may sit over facets and surface hoar.

The mid-snowpack is generally strong but the lower snowpack is a different story. The November facets are still prominent at the base of the snowpack. This layer remains a concern in rocky, shallow, or thin to thick snowpack areas at treeline and above.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Clear with cloudy periods. Light northeast wind. High of -8 °C at treeline. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Thursday

Mix of sun and cloud. Light northeast wind. High of 1 °C at treeline. Freezing level at 1900m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Light to moderate southwest wind. High of -3 °C at treeline. Freezing level 1500m.

Saturday

Cloudy with flurries. Moderate southwest wind. High of -4 °C at treeline. Freezing level at 1300m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Minimize exposure to sun-exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
  • In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.

Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.