Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Inland
Watch for wind slabs in lee features at higher elevations. Use caution if wet snow is found at low elevations.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind affected 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?
Mid-mountain freezing levels will mean that loose wet avalanches are more likely at lower elevations. Use caution in terrain features where a small avalanche could have serious consequences.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid terrain traps such as gullies and cliffs where small avalanches can have high consequences.
- Watch for signs that the snow is moistening such as pin-wheeling and point-releases below cliffs.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, wet loose avalanches were observed at tree line and below. Some of these stepped down to basal facets in northern parts of the region.
Snowpack Summary
Variable snow surfaces are found in the region. In the east of the region, 5 to 10 cm of snow fell onto a melt-freeze crust from recent warm temperatures and rain. In the west of the region, the melt-freeze crust is on the surface. Wet snow may still exist at low elevations on all aspects. High elevation north aspects may have lingering wind slabs in immediate lee features. This overlies a surface hoar and sugary facet layer in sheltered locations.
A surface hoar and crust layer from January is buried around 80 to 140 cm in the southwest of the region. This layer still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like a cornice fall.
Sugary facets exist at the bottom of the snowpack in steep, rocky, and shallow snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
Not much change in the weather pattern: A mix of sun and cloud and little if any precipitation.
SATURDAY: A mix of sun and cloud / Light easterly winds / Alpine temperature +2 C / Freezing level 1500 m.
SUNDAY: Partly cloudy / Light north westerly winds / Alpine temperature +2 C / Freezing level 1500 m.
MONDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries / Light to moderate westerly winds / Alpine temperature near 0 degrees C / Freezing level 1200 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.
New snow in the east of the region likely formed wind slabs in immediate lee features. Wind slabs from the past few days also linger in lee and cross-loaded features.