| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 3 Considerable | 4 High | 3 Considerable |
| At Treeline | 3 Considerable | 3 Considerable | 3 Considerable |
| Below Treeline | 1 Low | 2 Moderate | 2 Moderate |
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 4 High | 4 High | 3 Considerable |
| At Treeline | 3 Considerable | 3 Considerable | 3 Considerable |
| Below Treeline | 2 Moderate | 2 Moderate | 2 Moderate |
The orange segments show which aspects are most affected by the primary concern. If the icon is completely orange, this means the primary concern exists on all slopes.
Alpine, Treeline and Below Treeline are separate zones with distinct characteristics. The arrow points to the zones most affected by the primary concern. For more information on elevation zones, click here.
Indicates the time of day where the primary concern is likely to be a problem. Avalanche conditions can change between shady, cool mornings and sunny, warm afternoons. If both icons appear, it means the primary concern is present all day.
Very warm temperatures and lots of sun over the weekend followed by cooling significantly reduced (although not completely eliminated) the potential for triggering avalanches below about 1800m. Caution is still warranted on shaded slopes where no crust exists under Sunday night's snow--most likely the upper reaches of the BTL elevation band on N - E aspects.
The orange segments show which aspects are most affected by the primary concern. If the icon is completely orange, this means the primary concern exists on all slopes.
Alpine, Treeline and Below Treeline are separate zones with distinct characteristics. The arrow points to the zones most affected by the primary concern. For more information on elevation zones, click here.
Indicates the time of day where the primary concern is likely to be a problem. Avalanche conditions can change between shady, cool mornings and sunny, warm afternoons. If both icons appear, it means the primary concern is present all day.
If the weather forecast is correct, wind slabs will begin to develop on Thursday, especially in southern regions at first in the alpine, then perhaps into treeline (check for an update on this tomorrow).
We are changing the re-issue dates of our forecasts. From now on we will re-issue and email forecasts for this region on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This will change the days on which you receive information by email. We will continue to update daily so the online forecasts will continue to be your most current source of information.
Friday: Moderate snowfall is expected. 8-15 cm is possible. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds.
Saturday: Snow flurries possible with sunny breaks.
Sunday: Mostly sunny.
The Canadian Avalanche Centre feels that triggering avalanches will become easier this Friday, Satruday, and Sunday. As the slab over the weak layers thickens, avalanches are breaking out wider, running father, faster, and have much more destructive potential. A long period of avalanche acitivty continues in regions of the North Columbia mountains.
Terrain: I think most slopes below about 1800m with a bit of new snow on crusts are mostly good to go. Similarly steep, sunny slopes higher up with dust on crust are likely pretty good. All shaded areas with no crusts under Sunday night's snow should be treated with great caution and I suggest staying off or out from under anything over 20 degrees incline. This is likely to change later in the week, especially in southern areas--check back for tomorrow's forecast.
Risk Management: The biggest problems are concentrated exactly on the aspects and elevations where good snow is preserved. Anywhere you are getting good powder riding is highly suspect and should be treated with the utmost caution. A high degree of discipline and constant vigilance is required if you intend to go into the mountains at the moment. And it's likely to again get trickier in the coming days before there's any chance of it getting better. Extensive experience with professional level training and safety systems are required to manage risk in most areas. I know I'm telling many of you exactly what you don't want to hear but man, it's weird out there right now. Karl Klassen
Snow is continuing to build over crusts on southerly aspects and surface hoar layers on north and east aspects. A number of surface hoar layers exist and some remain well within the skier or sled triggering range. Pick your poision: Jan 24, Feb 8, Feb 24, March 7 remain active in the snowpack. The February 8th and 24th layers are producing moderate stability test results with sudden planar shears. The March 7 layer is prominent in some areas and not in others. Where it exists continued snowfall may build a slab thick enough over it to become an issue.
Prepared by Greg Johnson
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