Avalanche Forecast
North Columbia
High north aspects continue to hold the best snow as well as a lingering storm slab problem.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious around steep or convex slopes where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
- Use extra caution in the afternoon if snow becomes moist or wet.
- Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
Avalanche Summary
Reports from Sunday included a remotely (from a distance) triggered 25 cm deep storm slab (size 1) releasing with skier traffic on a steeper north-facing slope at around 2000 m in the Monashees. Several more natural size 2 storm slab releases were observed on very steep northeast-facing terrain at around the same elevation. These occurred during the peak of daytime warming.
On Saturday there were numerous reports of size 1-2, loose wet avalanches on sunny, solar aspects involving the recent storm storm snow, as well as one report of a size 1.5 skier triggered slab (30 cm deep) on a northwest aspect at 2000 m.
Last Friday there were reports of several skier triggered (size 1-1.5) avalanches from 15-25 cm deep on north through southeast aspects between 1700-2100 m.
Snowpack Summary
Recent light snowfalls have been followed by warm daytime temperatures and glimpses of sun, setting up a couple of thin storm snow layers over temperature and sun crusts at lower elevations and on south aspects. On shaded aspects at higher elevations, these snowfalls have buried and preserved a couple of surface hoar layers now found up to 25 cm deep.
New snow amounts taper with elevation and below 1800 m, minimal accumulations have buried a supportive crust on all aspects. This crust will likely break down with daytime warming, becoming moist in the afternoon.
Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, large cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Cloudy with scattered flurries and a trace to 5 cm of new snow, continuing overnight. Light to moderate southwest winds. Freezing level to 1500 metres with alpine high temperatures around -5.
Wednesday: Cloudy with scattered flurries and a trace to 5 cm of new snow, continuing overnight. Light to moderate southeast winds, increasing overnight. Freezing level to 1500 metres with alpine high temperatures around -4.
Thursday: Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow, increasing overnight. Moderate to strong southeast winds. Freezing level to 1900 metres with alpine high temperatures around 0.
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
- North Columbia URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/north-columbia.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.
Isolated pockets of surface hoar on sheltered, high north aspects have led to prolonged reactivity in storm slabs about 25 cm deep.