Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Vancouver Island.
Slipping and injuring yourself on hard rain crust is more likely than an avalanche right now. Let's hope for lower freezing levels with our next storm!
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
Wednesday night: Diminishing cloud with isolated flurries. Strong southwest winds easing and shifting northwest.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. Light northwest winds. Treeline high temperatures around -5.
Friday: A mix of sun and cloud, increasing cloud over the day. Light variable winds. Treeline high temperatures around -3.
Saturday: Cloudy with lingering flurries from the overnight period and 5-10 cm of new snow. Light to moderate winds, still variable.
Avalanche Summary
Recent heavy rain followed by a solid refreeze over Wednesday night should effectively eliminate avalanche concerns for Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
A dusting of new snow may exist in the alpine, however heavy rain has affected the snowpack at all elevations. Strong surface crusts should form at all elevations over Wednesday night and effectively lock the snowpack in place underneath any skiff of new snow.
Recent indications of our region's existing (but eroding) snowpack suggested alpine snowpack depths around 150 cm, with depth tapering dramatically with elevation to about 30-60 cm at treeline. Snow cover is thin and generally below threshold for avalanches below about 1300 metres.Â
Terrain and Travel
- When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.