Cariboos

Expect dangerous avalanche conditions with the arrival of new snow.

The new forecaster's blog outlines how shifting your mindset can help with changing conditions.

On Tuesday, riders triggered a few large avalanches 30 to 50 cm deep on northeast terrain in the alpine. One large avalanche 80 cm deep also released naturally on a south aspect.

These add to the several wind slab avalanches reported in the recent days, mostly found at ridge crests on varying aspects. Many of these avalanches are releasing on the weak layers described in the Snowpack Summary.

The new snow has fallen on a variety of old surfaces. There is surface hoar, more prevalent around treeline and below, a crust on sun-facing slopes, and 20 to 30 cm of low-density faceted snow in sheltered areas.

Dry January conditions have created a weak, faceted upper snowpack with multiple surface hoar and crust layers within the upper snowpack. These layers are a concern with the new snow amounts forecasted.

The mid and lower snowpack remains generally well-settled and strong, with no current concerns or significant instability noted.

Thursday night

Mostly cloudy with up 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature - 16 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
• Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
• Loose avalanches may start small, but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.