Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Coastal
Potential for a cold, windy day. Watch for building wind slabs, even at low elevation.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Travel on ridgetops to avoid wind slabs on slopes below.
- Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.
Avalanche Summary
A natural storm slab cycle to size 2 was reported to have run during the storm last Monday. Skiers near Shames reported sluffs running far on Monday. A skier triggered a size 2 wind slab on Sunday on a NW aspect at about 1400 m near Terrace.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is variable across the region. Wind slabs and storm slabs may be found on some slopes in the alpine and at treeline.
Up to 45 cm recent snow overlies several layers of interest in the upper snowpack. These include crusts, surface hoar and facets. A hard crust with associated facets from mid-December sits deeper in the snowpack, about 60 cm down. Any of these layers could create a persistent slab problem if new snow, wind-loading or warming change the properties of the slab above.
The lower snowpack is generally strong, with the exception of areas around Stewart and further north where a basal crust and facets exist.
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Cloudy with strong outflow winds. Flurries possible. Alpine temperature near -20.
FRIDAY: Clear with light winds. Flurries possible. Alpine temperature near -20.
SATURDAY: Cloudy with light winds. 5-10 cm snow. Alpine temperature near 0, but cold in the valleys.
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Outflow winds may have left wind slabs that can be triggered by the weight of a person. Wind slabs and storm slabs could step down to weak layers deeper in the snowpack.