Vancouver Island

Thin wind slabs may have formed in isolated areas at upper elevations. Avalanche activity is unlikely in most terrain due to a thick crust.

Saturday night: low of -2 at 1200m. Light to moderate west winds and light flurries bringing trace amounts of snow.

Sunday: mix of sun and cloud with the possibility of light flurries bringing trace amounts of snow. Moderate northwest winds. High of -3 at 1200m.

Monday: mix of sun and cloud with the possibility of light flurries bringing trace amounts of snow. Light northerly winds and a high of -4 at 1200m.

Tuesday: mostly sunny with a high of -5 at 1200m. Light northerly winds.

No avalanches have been reported on the Island this week. If you are recreating in the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report. 

Up to 5cm sits over a thick and supportive crust which caps the snowpack on all aspects and elevations. It may be possible to find thin wind slabs in the alpine and treeline in isolated areas.

Below the crust, 10-60 cm well settled snow and old crust layers sit above the thick late-January crust which extends to mountain top elevations on all aspects. The mid and lower snowpack is considered well settled and strong. 

Shallow snow cover at low elevations leaves many hazards like stumps and creeks exposed at or just below the snow surface.

• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
• When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.