North Columbia

New snow and wind will add load to an already unstable snowpack. Choose low angle terrain and avoid exposure to overhead hazard.

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

SUNDAY NIGHT -Flurries, 10-15 cm / south to southwest winds, 20-45 km/h, gusting to 55 km/h / alpine low temperature near -4MONDAY - Cloudy with scattered flurries, 5-10 cm / south to southwest winds, 30-60 km/h / freezing level 1400 m / alpine high temperature near -5TUESDAY - Snow,10-20 cm / south to southwest winds, 20-40 km/h, gusting to 55 km/h / freezing level 1300 m / alpine high temperature near -4, low temperature near -6WEDNESDAY - Mainly cloudy with flurries, 5-15 cm / southwest winds, 20-40 km/h, gusting to 50 km/h / freezing level 1300 m / alpine high temperature near -5, low temperature near -8

Avalanche activity continues in the North Columbia region with natural and explosives triggered avalanches to size 3.5, as well as human triggered avalanches to size 2 being reported on Saturday.Numerous natural and explosives triggered avalanches to size 3.5 and human triggered avalanches to size 2.5 have been reported in the region every day since Wednesday, December 12. Many of these avalanches were triggered from a distance (remote triggered). On Friday, a size 4 natural avalanche was reported to have run full path, burying a road under several metres of debris on the west side of Kinbasket Lake. This avalanche occurred in the northern reaches of the North Columbia region, close to the boundary of the Cariboo region. These full path avalanches can catch people by surprise, especially when there is very little snow in the valley bottoms. A report of this avalanche can be found on the Mountain Information Network here

70-130 cm of recent storm snow sits on a weak layer of facets (sugary snow), surface hoar (feathery crystals), and a sun crust (on south facing slopes). Strong winds have promoted widespread slab formation.A weak layer from mid November is now buried up to 150 cm and consists of surface hoar and a sun crust. The potential may exist for smaller avalanches to step down and trigger this deeper layer, resulting in very large avalanches. The most likely place for this layer to be a problem is on steep, south facing slopes at treeline where the surface hoar sits on the sun crust.At the base of the snowpack is a crust that formed in late October. Concern for this layer is dwindling but it may still be worth considering in places such as steep, rocky, alpine terrain, especially where the snowpack is shallow. It would likely take a large trigger such as a cornice fall to produce an avalanche on this layer.