Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Harrison-Fraser, North Shore, Powell River, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, South Coast, Stave, Tetrahedron.
15 to 30 cm of new snow and strong southwest wind will build touchy storm slabs Wednesday. Avoid lee slopes at ridgeline.
Stick with a conservative trip plan and watch for signs of instability
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new reports by Tuesday afternoon. On Monday, evidence of a widespread slab avalanche cycle up to size 2.5 trickles in.
With forecasted new snow and wind, storm slabs will likely be reactive on Wednesday.
If you are headed to the backcountry, please consider sharing your photos and observations from your day on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
20 to 40 cm of new snow is forecast by Wednesday afternoon. This could bring storm snow totals in the alpine to over 100 cm since the weekend. High north-facing slopes may see deeper deposits of wind-transported snow.
At treeline and below, the new snow will sit above a crust on all aspects. This crust has approximately 30 cm of dense, saturated storm snow below, with the upper snowpack generally seeing moist throughout.
The mid and lower snowpack contain several crusts that are not concerning.
Check out this great MIN with snowpack observations from the Mount Seymour area.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 15 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 10 gusting to 60 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 900 m.
Thursday
Mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 600 m.
Friday
Mix of sun and cloud with a trace of new snow. 10 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 800 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.
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
- Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Touchy storm slabs are likely on Wednesday. Back off if you encounter signs of instability like whumpfing, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
Dry loose sluffing may be seen in steep terrain features.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5