Avalanche Forecast
Regions: East Island, North Island, South Island, Vancouver Island.
Danger will increase throughout the day as the snow falls.
Monitor conditions periodically, and be prepared to leave if it's getting dangerous.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported this week, but avalanche activity is expected to increase as the snow piles up.
If you are going out in the backcountry, please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network (MIN) report.
Snowpack Summary
The incoming storm is expected to drop 30 cm of new snow by the end of the day.
The upper snowpack is likely a series of crusts with moist snow between.
The middle and lower snowpack are well-settled with no layers of concern.
Snow depths at treeline vary across the region from 230 cm near Mt. Washington to 130 cm near Mt Cain.
Weather Summary
Thursday Night
Cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with 15 to 30 cm of snow. 40 to 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy with 30 cm of snow. 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. 35 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
- As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely - Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5