South Okanagan
Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 28th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 27th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 26th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wet Slabs, Loose Wet, Cornices.
Published: Mar 25th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 24th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 23rd, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 22nd, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 21st, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 20th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 19th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 18th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 17th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 16th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 15th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 14th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 13th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 12th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 11th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 10th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Wind Slabs, Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 9th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs, Wind Slabs.
Published: Mar 8th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 7th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 6th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs, Storm Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 5th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs, Storm Slabs.
Published: Mar 4th, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 3rd, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 2nd, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs.
Published: Mar 2nd, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Mar 1st, 2025Avalanche Forecast
Problems: Persistent Slabs, Wind Slabs, Loose Wet.
Published: Feb 28th, 2025Below East Peak
danielrswayze,
Sunday 7th January, 2024 8:10PM
Spring Came Early
Rapid warming, snow falling from trees at 2000m. No results with snow pit. Clouds came in around noon and cooled things down a bit.
logandriedger,
Saturday 30th December, 2023 4:30PM
East Peak/near Smokers
Took a walk out behind East Peak on Dec 19. Checking out conditions for future ski tours. We crossed the typical wind scoured slope in that area but once around the corner just to skier’s right of Smokers we found some nice turns. Snow was somewhat wind and temperature compressed but very skiable. Didn’t venture too high given the wind and visibility. There was no evidence of sloughing or slide activity and we experienced no whumping.
milnes.alan,
Thursday 21st December, 2023 10:20AM
Pit tests
danielrswayze,
Saturday 16th December, 2023 3:40PM
Big White slackcountry update 2
With the blessing of improved weather I headed behind Big White for the first time this season. Clear with light ridge wind NE in the AM followed by much stronger winds N in the afternoon. Conditions for skiing are OK. The rain crust is ~25-40cm below with low density snow on top of this layer and approx 3cm of high density heavier snow to the surface. The snowpack is solid. No results on the rain layer. Small wind slabs in especially wind loaded pockets. Overall largely safe conditions to do some exploring. We need more snow. Very much early session conditions similar to what we see in mid November with sharks hiding just a few cm below the surface. East Peak is largely unskiable until we receive at least another 25cm. Found some very fresh mountain lion tracks.
olivereisele14,
Tuesday 12th December, 2023 4:20PM
Big White
Toured to the top of big white with the intent of digging a pit and checking the coverage on the back side. Poor visibility, and very strong winds mean’t I instead explored the area around the Falcon chair. Rain layer is now a hard crust about ~30cm under new snow at 1800m and ~40-60cm down at higher elevations. There have clearly been incredibly strong winds in the alpine as much of the new snow has been completely burned off down to the rain layer (which is through all elevations). Below ~1900m the new snow is bonding well to this layer. Above ~1900m and in open areas with wind loading there are large propagating slabs ~10-20cm in depth. These slabs are very reactive and will be tricky to navigate on steeper more unforgiving slopes. Lee slopes especially seemed reactive. Overall: it could be worse. There is a significant difference in the amount of snow from ~1700-2000m. I stayed away from high angle above tree line slopes.
olivereisele14,
Friday 8th December, 2023 11:50PM
East peak tour from bottom of Cliff chair
<p>Skinned up to the top of East peak from bottom of the Cliff. Skied down the ridge the same way we climbed.
Snow conditions were rock hard / very wind affected above tree line, snow was falling / blowing in the alpine. Below tree line was great powder skiing.
No evidence of avalanches where we travelled. </p>
pcasey477,
Sunday 5th March, 2023 8:40PM
Area 51 and back side of BW summit
<p>Skinned up directly above Gem lift and skied down skiers right of Area 51. No wind slabs noted. Mild sloughing on the ski down to valley bottom. Skinned across the valley to the north facing slope below the summit of BW and up to tree line. Slope above tree line was wind scoured across the slope but relatively unaffected below tree line with no evidence of wind slabs. We enjoyed three creamy smooth runs to valley bottom. Snowpack was well consolidated. No whumping or cracks were observed in any location we skinned or skied. As the light faded due to fog and the wind picked up, we bugged out along Pink. </p>
milnes.alan,
Wednesday 1st March, 2023 7:50PM
East Peak
Chairman Pow,
Friday 24th February, 2023 8:50PM
Precious - Big White slack country
<p>Cautiously entered Precious, noted upslope winds, no evidence of wind transport onto slope. Ridge top was wind affected with lots of wind rolls. Ski cutting was unreactive. No whumping or cracking observed. Skied slope one at a time to a safe zone. Other than sloughing due to volume of new snow the slope was stable and unreactive. Low angle slopes were difficult to ski due to the volume of new snow which impeded downhill progress. </p>
milnes.alan,
Monday 20th February, 2023 3:20PM
East Peak side country tour 15Feb2023
<p>Firm and icy along ridge between Big White and east peak. And on skin up to east peak, particularly on the NW aspect.
Amazing riding conditions on east and south slopes.
Avalanche report noted problem of wind slab on all but W / SW slopes
</p>
oscar.ichim,
Wednesday 15th February, 2023 11:50PM
Stay Wild AST 1 Course Rhonda Lake
<p>We did some easy touring from Easter chutes past Rhonda Lake. Sara from Stay Wild guided us through a test pit with compression test, using the transceiver, and companion rescue. The snowpack was really dense once we got below a surface hoar layer about 25 cm down. Such a great day and lots more to learn!</p>
Stephen Brown,
Sunday 12th February, 2023 9:50PM
Slack country Big White - Area 51
<p>Surprisingly good conditions behind the Gem and points north today in the ecological reserve. Snowpack was wind affected at ridge top but below ridge top skiing exceeded expectations with roughly 10-20 cms of new snow deposited in the past few days. Stability was excellent. </p>
milnes.alan,
Wednesday 8th February, 2023 7:00PM
Area 51 Conditions
JJ Rushton,
Thursday 2nd February, 2023 2:40PM
Smokers bowl Wind slab release
zack9225,
Wednesday 1st February, 2023 6:00PM
East Ridge
<p>Little slack country mission today. Skied the east ridge outside big white and found some VERY wind affected conditions coming down the ridge. Better inside the bowl but with the winds cross loading most of the area over the past few days we kept things mellow. On lap number two we skinned our way back up the ridge and noticed some serious crack propagation on a pretty protected south-east facing aspect. Found our poles ripping out chunks of wind slab sitting on some leftover surface hoar from last week. Slope angles were sub 30 degrees but spooky none the less. Finished the day by skiing out the valley towards black forrest for some lovely turns below the tree line. </p>
noah_dore,
Sunday 29th January, 2023 11:20PM
Whitefoot
taycornett,
Sunday 15th January, 2023 9:30PM
Smokers bowl
<p>Wind was coming from the E/SE higher up pretty strong, the wind mellowed out once down at treeline. The snow higher up was starting to scour, but once down at treeline it thickened up and was good riding. W side of the ridge had some wind loading developing. We came from east peak - smokers bowl. Better riding was to be had around treeline than up high.</p>
Thestupidsender,
Wednesday 11th January, 2023 2:20PM
Low vis in Smoker's Bowl
<p>Got a little turned around with the poor vis in Smoker's bowl. Skinned from black forest parking lot on 20-30cm new snow on a crust. Rode into smoker's and ended up coming back up the same way in the fog to ride the ridge back to trees/inbounds. Ridge winds moderate and significant wind affect on ridgeline and lee features. Our ski cuts didn't cause any slides, but the top layer of new snow is already wind slabbing/consolidating in the bowl and things are pretty crusty on the ridge, with a few rocks exposed above the treeline. Tree-protected areas still have great riding on the new layer and offer safer riding due to visibility.</p>
SplitNick,
Monday 9th January, 2023 3:00PM
Baldy summit approach
<p>Decent snow quality on the trail, some instability higher up. Turned back before the summit as visibility was near zero. </p>
langleykev,
Friday 30th December, 2022 9:00AM
Kelowna's Crack
<p>40 cm of new snow from Tuesday's storm. Got some good turns in the fresh snow, various rocks and logs peaking out, wear a helmet :)
On south facing slope, fresh and wind deposited snow sits on a 10 cm crust which goes to the ground.
</p>
jwebster,
Wednesday 21st December, 2022 6:50PM
East peak
<p>Snow pack was overall fairly dense (1F and 4F) with the exception of the top 30cm and facet layer 70cms down which were fist. </p>
jeffnish97,
Saturday 17th December, 2022 4:50PM