Vancouver Island

Rain and warm temperatures have come for our snowpack yet again.

Be cautious anywhere dry snow may be seeing rain and warm temperatures for the first time.

Moderate

• We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

We suspect a loose wet cycle will occur out of extreme terrain with the warm temperatures and rain.

If you head out, please consider posting your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Up to 3 cm of moist snow sits on a melt-freeze crust that varies in thickness from 1 cm in the alpine to 10 cm below treeline. The entire snowpack is rain soaked and likely a significant portion of it has become isothermal in the warm temperatures.

50 to 70 cm of snow is overlying a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas at and below treeline. While we have been able to find this layer in a few areas, we have not seen any reactivity on it.

The remaining snowpack has no other layers of concern.

Snowpack depths at treeline range from 95 to 250 cm.

Thursday Night

Cloudy. 5 to 10 mm of precipitation. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.

Friday

Cloudy. 5 to 15 mm of rain. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level rising to 2200 m.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy. 4 to 15 mm of rain. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 2900 m.

Sunday

Mix of sun and clouds. 10 to 15 mm of precipitation. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• The first few hours of rain will likely be the most dangerous period.
• Avoid areas with overhead hazard.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.