Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Monday

Saturday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Freezing level in valley bottom with alpine temperatures around -10 to -15 C. Moderate northerly alpine winds. Sunday: Increasing cloud with light snow possible. Freezing level in valley bottom with alpine temperatures around -10 C. Light alpine wind. Monday: Light snow with up to 10 cm of accumulation. Freezing level in valley bottom with alpine temperature around -5 C. Moderate SW alpine wind.

Reports from Thursday include a Size 1.5 avalanche, accidently triggered by skiers from below, on an east Aspect in the Coquihalla Pass area. The avalanche swept both skiers down the slope and one person impacted a small tree. Neither were buried or suffered significant injuries.

A highly variable snow surface includes surface facets, surface hoar, thin wind slabs, and scoured crust, or any combination thereof. Remember to take stock of current surface conditions if you're out in the mountains. Once buried by a cohesive slab, surface hoar or a thin layer of facets sitting on a crust almost always becomes a weak layer, and will often persist.In sheltered areas, large surface hoar is growing on approximately 10cm of faceted old storm snow sitting on the late January crust, which is likely faceted and laminated and could have surface hoar on top. The entire snowpack is likely faceting to some degree, especially where it is shallow. Basal facets and depth hoar are likely, but triggering is only a concern in thin and variable snowpack areas with large triggers.