Avalanche Forecast
Regions: East Island, North Island, South Island, Vancouver Island, West Island.
Heightened avalanche conditions exist in the alpine where temperatures remain cool and winds have built cohesive slabs in lees. Human-triggered avalanches are possible in these areas.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches have been reported recently.
Backcountry users should expect to see evidence of a natural wind slab avalanche cycle in the alpine that occurred during the last 24 hours. Users may also observe signs of a small wet loose avalanche cycle around 1300 m where the snow-rain line was during the storm.
Please help out your backcountry community by submitting a MIN report if you head out to the backcountry.
Snowpack Summary
By Thursday morning up to 30 cm of storm snow overlies a supportive melt-freeze crust. At treeline and below snow is moist. In the alpine where temperatures remained cool winds have redistributed storm snow into deep pockets.
The mid and lower snowpack contains a series of crusts and is well settled.
Treeline snow depths generally range from 50 to 150 cm. Snow depth diminishes rapidly below 1000 m. Traveling on skis is almost impossible below treeline.
Check out this great MIN that describes conditions at Mt Cain.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with flurries, 5 to 10 cm accumulations above the rain-snow line, southwest ridgetop wind 40 to 50 km/h, freezing level around 1300 m.
Thursday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, 1 to 3 cm snow expected, southwest ridgetop wind 30 to 50 km/h, freezing level around 1300 m.
Friday
Cloudy with flurries, 10 to 20 cm of snow, southwest ridgetop wind 50 to 60 km/h, freezing level around 1000 m.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, trace amounts of snow, northwest ridgetop wind of 50 km/h, freezing level around 800 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Avalanche danger is often elevated in alpine gullies where snow has accumulated.
- Travelling on skis is hazardous due to a very shallow mountain snowpack.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
New snow and strong southerly winds have built fresh wind slabs in lee features in the alpine. Be careful transitioning into wind affected terrain where slabs may be more cohesive and triggerable by riders.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Loose Wet
Watch for the surface losing cohesion around the snow-rain line. Small avalanches are likely in steep unsupported terrain here due to rain and above-freezing temps.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5