Avalanche Forecast
Cariboos
Strong winds formed reactive wind slabs and cornices at ridge crests. The best and safest riding is in sheltered locations at tree line and below.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Stay off recent wind loaded areas until the slope has had a chance to stabilize.
- Use ridges or ribs to enter your line lower down, avoiding pockets of wind slab.
- If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Several troublesome layers exist in the snowpack and may be reactive to large triggers such as a cornice or storm slab release. Human triggering may also be possible in shallow or thin, rocky areas.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.
- Minimize exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach run out zones.
- Pay attention to overhead hazards like cornices which could easily trigger persistent slabs.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday we received reports of recent cornice-triggered slab avalanches on high lee (down wind) features in the alpine.
On Wednesday, several avalanches were reported in recent storm snow up to size 2.5.
Previously, a very large, widespread natural avalanche cycle up to size 4 was observed last week. Slopes of all aspects and elevations ran full path and reached valley floor. In some cases, mature timber was destroyed. Many of these failed on persistent weak layers mentioned in the snowpack discussion. Although natural avalanche activity on these layers has tapered-off, human triggering of very large avalanches remains a very real possibility.
Snowpack Summary
25-40cm of recent storm snow is settling into a slab in the upper snowpack. Winds have been strong from the north west through south west near Valemount, with reactive hard wind slabs (10-15 cm thick) forming in exposed locations on down wind features. See this MIN post for more information.
These accumulations overlie a mix of older wind slabs in exposed higher elevation terrain, a sun crust on steep solar aspects and surface hoar on sheltered slopes.
Below the snow surface, several persistent weak layers make up a troublesome snowpack. In the top 1-1.5 m of the snowpack, two surface hoar layers buried in January can be found. Expect to find at least one of these layers on all aspects and elevations.
Deeper in the snowpack (120-200 cm deep) is a facet/crust/surface hoar layer from December, most prevalent at and below treeline.
Near the base of the snowpack is a crust/facet combo, most likely to be triggered from thin spots in the alpine.
All of these layers have produced large avalanches recently. The wide distribution and ongoing reactivity of these layers suggests that avoidance through choosing simple terrain is the best strategy.
Weather Forecast
It looks like the storm track on Saturday will head south of this region, with only minor snowfall amounts in the Cariboos. Clear and cold Sunday onwards, with overnight lows near -25 Celsius in some locations.
Saturday: 2-5 cm new snow. Treeline temperature around -12C. Light winds becoming moderate north easterly.
Sunday: Sunny but cold. Treeline temperatures around -17C. Winds light northeasterly.
Monday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Treeline temperature around -15C. Winds light northerly.
Avalanche Forecasts in your Inbox
Avalanche Canada has switched to an RSS feed for its daily forecasts. This is a much more flexible method that allows automatic delivery to your email inbox, or to an RSS reader of your choice.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular standardized file format allowing up-to-date delivery of web-based content. RSS feeds enable you to receive content updates from websites, delivered to your email through an RSS aggregator (such as blogtrottr.com) or viewed through applications called RSS readers (such as feedly.com).
Set up an RSS feed for your email:
Select a RSS aggregator
- Cariboos URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/cariboos.rss - Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
- Fill in your email address.
- Voila! Watch the Avalanche Canada forecast roll into your inbox.
Forecast Disclaimer
Avalanche Canada's Public Avalanche Bulletin, and other information and services provided by Avalanche Canada, are intended for personal and recreational purposes only.
**THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DISCOMFORT, INJURY, OR DEATH, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS, OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION.**
The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and uses the data in this bulletin with this always foremost in mind. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the Providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.
New snow may be especially reactive in wind-exposed terrain, and could be slow to gain strength due to a mix of underlying weak surfaces. Watch for new wind slab development due to recent south west winds.