Archived North Rockies Avalanche Report 22-Jan-2016 [Comment] This is archived because it was the most recent information available on the 25th, when a fatal incident occurred. The incident may have been on the boundary of this region and the Cariboo, it is not clear. But the situation was similar and the Cariboo conditions are mentioned here. This region only has a blog, which is updated more or less weekly. There is no daily advisory. [End Comment] Information for this week's report is several days old, which sometimes doesn't matter, but in a rapidly evolving pattern such as this, can make a significant difference. Therefore, please take this report as a starting point and plan on modifying the information based on your local observations and your own avalanche hazard assessment. Avalanche Problems: Persistent Slab A persistent slab problem has been building in this region as a layer of weak surface hoar crystals is becoming buried under approximately 40-60 cm new snow. This problem may be particularly tricky at treeline and below treeline elevations. Wind slabs Recent new snow and wind have likely set up touchy wind slab problems in exposed lee areas Discussion We've issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning (SPAW) for the Cariboo region bordering the North Rockies to the south. The basis for the SPAW is a persistent slab problem that is expected to survive through the recent storms and remain touchy. Storm snow amounts are lower for the North Rockies compared with regions to the south, so less weight is expected to be added to the snowpack. However, the basic snowpack structure is similar. I would suggest a cautious approach to riding in the North Rockies mountains this weekend and early next week. Travel Advice My recommendation is to stick to small terrain and if you're certain you know where they are, areas that have been previously ridden hard. With this second point, I'm talking about areas that have seen significant traffic in the last couple of weeks since the surface hoar layer was buried in mid-January. It's also a time to avoid steep slopes and convex rolls. A Look into the Weekend A clearing trend is expected on Saturday, and while there could be a few lingering flurries in the morning, by the afternoon, we should expect some sunshine. Winds should be light from the west and treeline temperatures in the region of -6C. Similar weather is expected for Sunday. I anticipate the chance of seeing natural avalanche activity will diminish this weekend as more settled weather is ushered in. The possibility of human triggering, on a sled or on skis, remains quite likely through the weekend. James Floyer