Avalanche Forecast
South Coast Inland
New snow totals are uncertain in this weather pattern. Danger ratings are based on higher snowfall amounts. Wind slabs and cornices are touchy: Give both a wide berth and avoid overhead hazard.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
- Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
- Stay off recent wind loaded areas until the snow has a chance to stabilize.
Avalanche Problem 2: Cornices
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Recent heavy snowfall and strong winds have created fragile new cornices. These monsters may surprise with nasty consequences. Use extra caution around ridge crests.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Give cornices a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges
- Falling cornices may trigger large avalanches on slopes below.
Avalanche Summary
On Saturday in the north of the region, skiers triggered a size 2 wind slab avalanche on a north east facing slope near 2050m. See the MIN report for more information.
Also on Saturday in the Duffey zone, we had reports of a cornice-triggered size 3 wind slab on a north east facing slope near 2100m. See the MIN report for more information.
On Saturday, several wet loose avalanches to size 3 were reported in the south (Coquihalla) which saw rain up to ridge crests until the afternoon.
On Wednesday in the Duffey area, explosives control triggered a size 2.5 and 2 size 3 persistent slab avalanches in north-facing alpine terrain. The early January crust was the culprit in all 3 of these avalanches. More alarming was a skier-triggered size 3 slab avalanche in the Birkenhead Lake area on the same day. The avalanche was triggered on a northwest facing slope at 2200m, was about 120cm deep and ran a distance of approximately 400m. Nobody was injured in the event. These avalanches demonstrate that you may be dealing with more than just the most recent storm snow in this part of the region.
Snowpack Summary
Recent snowfall totals are highly variable. In the south, up to 25cm of snow fell in the alpine, while tree line elevations saw 10-15cm and temperatures near 0 degrees on Sunday afternoon. In the north, new snow totals were 10-15cm in the alpine, and rapidly decreasing below 1800m.
In the alpine, winds were moderate to strong from the south / east (Coquihalla) and moderate from the south / west (Duffey zone), creating fresh wind slabs in exposed down wind (lee) terrain. At lower treeline and below, warm temperatures (and rain in many locations) have created heavy snow and tough riding conditions.
The new snow adds to the 80-150cm of snow that fell during the last few weeks of January. These series of storms were accompanied by strong to extreme winds which resulted in extensive scouring and impressive cornice growth in upper elevation terrain. These accumulations sit on crusts from early and mid-January which generally show signs of bonding to the overlying snow; however, they been sensitive to skier triggering in at last one recent avalanche in the north of the region (see Avalanche Activity Discussion for details).
Weather Forecast
Sunday overnight into Monday: 10-15 cm of snow in the south of the region (0-5cm in the north)
Monday: 5-15cm of new snow in the south (0-5 cm in the north) / Light to moderate westerly winds / Freezing level at 1200m
Tuesday: 5-15cm snow / Moderate south west winds / Freezing level at 1100m.
Wednesday: 10-20 cm of snow above 1300m / Moderate to strong southwest winds / Freezing level rising to 1800m in the afternoon.
Note: Confidence is low for forecast precipitation amounts on Sunday overnight through Monday.
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Strong south east through west winds have created touchy soft slabs at exposed locations in the upper tree line and alpine elevation bands.