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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 2nd, 2024–Jan 3rd, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Tetrahedron.

Challenging travel conditions exist at treeline and below.

Small, reactive pockets of wind slab may be found on the highest ridgetops.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported.

If you head into the backcountry by any method of travel, please consider submitting observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Expect the upper snowpack to be dry snow in the alpine, and a mix of moist snow and frozen crusts at treeline and below. Freezing levels have gone up and down as light precipitation has continued.

The recent snow is settling rapidly and bonding well to the warm and moist snow beneath. The snowpack below 1500 m has been soaked with rain or diminishing rapidly.

Total snow depths at ski hills and remote stations are 50 to 70 cm, with closer to 100 cm possible at treeline. Many areas are below the threshold depth for avalanches.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow above 1100 m, or above 800 m on the Sunshine Coast. Light to moderate south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -1 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy. 3-5 cm of snow above 1000 m. Light south or southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2° C.

Thursday

Cloudy. 15-25 cm of snow expected above 1000 m. Moderate to strong southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C.

Friday

Cloudy. 25-35 cm of snow expected above 750 m. Strong southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5 °C.

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.
  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
  • Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.