Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Inland
Sustained winds have produced wind slabs in lee features. High freezing levels and sunny skies are warming the snowpack. The best riding will be in areas sheltered from the wind effect and sun, without any overhead exposure.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
Avalanche Problem 2: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
High freezing levels and sunny skies are warming the snowpack, particularly on solar aspects. Pay close attention to the effects of the sun on avalanche terrain and avoid overhead exposure.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid terrain traps such as gullies and cliffs where small avalanches can have high consequence.
- Watch for signs that the snow is heating up such as pin-wheeling and point-releases below cliffs.
- Start early to stay off south facing slopes during the heat of the day.
Avalanche Summary
Wind slabs were reactive to skier traffic on Sunday, producing small to large (size 1 to 2.5) avalanches in direct lee features at treeline and alpine elevations.
Snowpack Summary
Sustained southerly winds have produced wind slabs in lee features. This overlies a sun crust on solar aspects and a surface hoar and sugary facet layer on sheltered, shady aspects. Expect to find moist snow on solar aspects and on all aspects below around 1000 m.
A surface hoar and crust layer from January is buried around 80 to 140 cm. This layer still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like a cornice fall.
It is unlikely, but may be possible to trigger very large avalanches on facets at the bottom of the snowpack in steep, rocky, and shallow snowpack areas or with large triggers.
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, moderate southeasterly winds, alpine temperature 1 C, freezing level 2300 m.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 2 to 5 cm, light to moderate westerly winds, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1400 m.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy, light to moderate northwesterly winds, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1000 m.
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
- Northwest Inland URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/northwest-inland.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.
Strong southerly winds have redistributed the recent storm snow and formed touchy wind slabs. These slabs have been reactive to skier traffic.