Avalanche Forecast
South Coast Inland
A spike in natural avalanche activity may occur due to strong solar effect.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
- Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.
Avalanche Problem 2: Cornices
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Recent snowfall and strong winds have created large fragile cornices. Cornices are unpredictable and demand respect. Give them a wide berth from above and below.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Give cornices a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges
- Falling cornices may trigger large avalanches on slopes below.
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, the southern part of the region reported a natural slab avalanche size 3.5 from a NE-SE aspect near 1800 m and numerous wet slabs up to size 2.5. An avalanche control mission using explosives in the northern part of the region saw wind slab results up to size 1.5, only running in the surface snow and not stepping down deeper.
Snowpack Summary
Recent snowfall totals are highly variable. In the south, up to 40 cm of new snow fell bringing the alpine totals up to 60 cm this week. In the north, new snow totals are half that and rapidly decreasing below 1800m. This new snow sits on old wind slabs in alpine locations and has buried a crust at treeline. At lower treeline and below elevations, warm temperatures and rain have saturated the upper snowpack. A solid surface crust will likely form with forecast cooler temperatures.
Below the surface, 80-150 cm down in the mid pack sits the mid- January crust. It generally shows signs of bonding to the overlying snow; however, I would remain suspect of this deeper layer while the snowpack adjusts to the new load. Thinner snowpack areas may have a higher likelihood of an avalanche failing on this layer. Large, looming cornices exist, they are fragile and demand respect.
Weather Forecast
The weather pattern has taken a dramatic shift as the arctic ridge becomes the dominant weather feature through the weekend, bringing colder temperatures and mostly clear skies.
Saturday: Mostly clear skies. Alpine temperatures near -2 and freezing levels 1100 m. Ridgetop winds light from the West.
Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near -7 and freezing levels 800 m. Ridgetop winds light from the northwest.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Alpine temperatures near -10 and freezing levels 600 m. Ridgetop winds light from the northeast.
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
- South Coast Inland URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/south-coast-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.
Reactive wind slabs exist, especially on leeward slopes where more wind loading has occurred.