_29 JANUARY 1998_ CANADIAN AVALANCHE CENTRE _SOUTH COAST/VANCOUVER ISLAND_ _WEATHER _The main weather events have been - winds still being measured in the 100kmh plus range from the south-east, storm snow accumulations have ranged from 20-80cm in the region since Monday and freezing levels maintaining the snowline to about 1200-1500m For the weekend there doesn’t appear to be much relief with the weather forecast stuck on westerly flow and unsettled conditions. Whistler has had 350cm of snow in January! _SNOWPACK _The strong winds continue to build slabs in the alpine. The temperature range in the alpine at 2000m from -1 to -4degrees contributes to rapid settlement in the rare protected areas. Some clean shears being reported below the storm snow but explosives are not pulling out deeper releases to the November layer right now. Isothermal snowpack below 1400m but at higher elevations the colder lower snowpack temperatures are maintaining the facets and pockets of four finger layers. _AVALANCHES _On Wednesday explosives and ski control on previously controlled slopes produced size 1 avalanches. There has been little natural activity observed in the back country. _DANGER _For the Coast it’s been an unusually prolonged period, nearly all of January, with _CONSIDERABLE _danger or higher. Unless the weather eases with some cooling this weekend that’s the way it will stay. _TRAVEL ADVISORY _The Vancouver Sun newspaper includes the avalanche report on the ‘weather’ page on Tuesday and Friday. The potential for new slabs to quickly form in the strong winds is the main reason for the CONSIDERABLE rating. The deeper release from the sleeping giant is not running naturally right now but may be triggered in isolated high alpine locations that have not previously avalanched. _NORTH COLUMBIA_ _WEATHER _It’s too warm for January and looks as though it will continue that way until the end of the month. There have been moderate winds mainly from the south in the higher alpine and light snow amounts through the week from 5-15cm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperature range in the alpine from -4 to -10degrees. _SNOWPACK _The overall rating of stability is fair in the alpine and good below treeline. Isothermal snowpack below 1200-1400m depending on location and aspect. At 2000m the basal layers are still in the -2 degree range on south aspect and -4 degree on north aspect. These temperatures are preserving the facet and four finger resistance layers deeper in the pack. Recent snow and older storm layers are bonding well with some clean shears still observed. The deeper instability appears to be isolated to large high alpine terrain which has not avalanched. There has not been much travel there to evaluate this partly because of visibility and partly concern about the potential for large avalanche to be triggered remotely. _AVALANCHES _During the week there have been isolated large avalanches reported to the Centre. Size 4 in the Cariboos from cornice failure and size 3 off Mt Sir Wilfred Laurier both reported on Tuesday. Some explosives produced avalanches up to size 3.5 on the Trans Canada Highway on Wednesday. Otherwise only small natural avalanches occurred on very steep terrain. _DANGER MODERATE_ _TRAVEL ADVISORY _It’s only the second time this month that the danger is rated at MODERATE. The interior weather is expected to be less intense than in the mountain regions of the coast. The Vancouver Sun newspaper is posting the Bulletin information on Tuesday and Friday on the ‘weather’ page. _SOUTH COLUMBIA_ _WEATHER _Most operations cleaned off the storm board on Tuesday and had accumulations up to 40cm in the previous 72h. Since then there have been only trace to light amounts in the region with a little cooling but still well above seasonal average with a range from -2 to -10 degrees at 2000m. South west winds have been mostly moderate strength in the alpine, not nearly as strong as on the coast. Unsettled grey weather for the weekend with freezing level up to 1400m. _SNOWPACK _Storm snow has settled well with the warmer temperatures. In Kokanee Glacier Park the Rutschblock scores are 5 & 6. Isothermal snowpack below 1200m on south aspect, a little lower on north aspect. There is breakable crust below 1500m in the Nakusp area. The thin areas in the alpine still have the weak characteristics. _AVALANCHES _Frequency and scale of natural avalanches is very isolated right now. A few size 3 avalanches with explosives in the Bugaboos and one 3.5 natural near New Denver in the past few days ran to ground. _DANGER MODERATE_ _TRAVEL ADVISORY _It’s the first time for a posted MODERATE danger this month in the south Columbia. There is still concern in the large high alpine terrain about the potential for deep release being triggered. Last weekend it was a relatively small avalanche that killed a man near Merritt. Where the wind has not created hard slab there are good snow travel conditions. _ROCKIES_ _WEATHER _Most areas have had strong alpine winds from the west, temperature range in the alpine from -2 to -12degrees and only trace to light amounts of snow since the last bulletin. There is not much change expected in the weekend weather forecast. _SNOWPACK _Scoured slopes and slopes with slabs are the principal_ _alpine avalanche feature to be aware of right now. Where the scouring is to ground it is obvious. But in places with an overall reasonable snow cover the new slab may be better disguised. Snowpack heights vary from less than a metre in northern parts of Jasper and Chester Lake in Kananskis but Louise, Sunshine and Waterton all have over 1metre. The Fernie area snowbelt has over 2metres. There are some easy shears in near surface snow in shallow areas of Banff/Kootenay/Yoho. The faceted/depth hoar base lives on everywhere and shows little signs of change. _AVALANCHES _A few size 1 avalanches with explosives and ski control but virtually no natural activity reported. _DANGER MODERATE_ _TRAVEL ADVISORY _New slabs on ice climbs may only be small pockets but potential to get caught should not be underestimated. There are still areas in Jasper Park that have unconsolidated snow at lower elevation where travel conditions are not good. Other areas with thin snow cover do not give much support for skiers.