Vancouver Island

Thursday will be the last day of low avalanche danger before a major storm moves in that night.

Watch for small wind slabs developing Thursday afternoon.

No recent avalanches have been reported.

With the cooling trend and limited new snow in the forecast, we expect avalanche activity will remain unlikely on Thursday. However, as storm snow accumulates Thursday night and Friday, avalanche danger will rise rapidly.

If you are headed into the backcountry please consider submitting a MIN report.

Previous strong sunshine and warm temperatures formed a crust on most surfaces, except on north-facing alpine slopes, where some older soft snow possibly remains. Surface faceting has been reported in shady, sheltered areas. 5 to 10 cm of new snow is expected to fall Thursday, with significantly more arriving Thursday night and Friday. The mid and lower snowpack is dense, well-settled, and currently free of concerning layers.

For more details check out this MIN from our field team at the Victoria Peak area last Tuesday.

Wednesday Night

Clear, then increasing cloudiness. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1800 m dropping to 500 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -2 °C. Freezing levels remain around 500 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 20 to 40 cm of snow / heavy rain. 50 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures 0 °C. Freezing levels 1000 rising to 1400 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 35 to 45 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level around 500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
• Avoid freshly wind-loaded features, especially near ridge crests, rollovers, and in steep terrain.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for slabs before you commit to it.