Avalanche forecast

West Island

Dec 13 – 14, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
4 · High
Treeline
4 · High
Below
4 · High
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Highlights

Avoid all avalanche terrain.

Danger will increase throughout the day with heavy snowfall and strong wind.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely - Certain
    Size
    1–3

    Deep storm slabs could form quickly with heavy snowfall at all elevations.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported this week, but avalanche activity is expected to increase as the snow piles up on Friday.

Snowpack Summary

The incoming storm is expected to drop 30 to 50 cm of new snow by the end of the day. The larger snowfall amounts are forecast in the southwest of the region.

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 30 to 50 cm of snow. 40 to 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy with 50 to 150 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

  • Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy snowfall.
  • Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
  • As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.

Regions covered