Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 21st, 2026–Feb 22nd, 2026

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, West Island.

During periods of intense loading such as these large storms, it is best to stay out of avalanche terrain.

If you experience rain on the new snow, expect hazard to jump significantly.

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain about forecast precipitation amounts.
We are confident a natural avalanche cycle will begin shortly after the arrival of the incoming weather.
We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday, several skier-triggered storm slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported at all elevations. The wind has been reportedly reloading start zones rapidly, allowing slopes to be triggered multiple times.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Significant amounts of new snow has fallen on a widespread layer of surface hoar ranging from 30 mm below treeline to 5 mm in the alpine.

A crust from early February is down 50 to 100 cm and in most areas appears to be well bonded. However, snowpack tests showed concerning results on this layer in the Prince of Wales range on Wednesday.

The remainder of the snowpack is well settled. The snowpack depth at treeline ranges from 85 to 130 cm, and there is still very little snow below treeline.

While new snow has improved riding conditions, access is still a challenge, with new snow on bare rock/ground at low elevations.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night
Cloudy. 35 to 50 cm of snow. 60 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 35 to 45 mm of precipitation. 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 15 to 55 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
Think carefully about your exit plan from the backcountry because avalanche danger is expected to increase throughout the day.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.