Avalanche Forecast
North Columbia
Wind slabs are reactive at higher elevations. Pay attention to changes in snow conditions and avoid areas where the snow feels stiff or slabby.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
- Choose well supported terrain without convexities.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity has tapered off following last week's storms. A few small natural avalanches were reported on Sunday, mostly size 1-1.5 loose dry avalanches in the surface snow. On Saturday, explosive control in the Monashees produced a size 3 avalanche on a wind-loaded northeast ridge that scoured down to the late November crust. No recent human-triggered avalanches have been reported, but remain possible on specific terrain features such as wind-loaded slopes.
Snowpack Summary
Snow from last week's storms is settling and getting redistributed into fresh wind slabs by northwest winds. Roughly 30-60 cm of recent snow sits above various crusts from the warm weather in late November. Reports suggest the snow is bonding to the crusts so far, but there's potential for this layer to develop into a problem in the future. Snow depths decrease rapidly below treeline, where the primary hazards are rocks, stumps, and open creeks.
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Alpine sun and valley cloud, light northwest wind, alpine temperatures warming to -6 C.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny with valley cloud, light wind, inversion forming with alpine temperatures possibly reaching above 0 C.
THURSDAY: Sunny with valley cloud, light wind, inversion with freezing level up to 3000 m.
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Avalanches are most likely on wind-loaded slopes downwind of ridges and gullies. Changes in wind direction will likely form fresh wind slabs on a variety of aspects.