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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2025–Mar 18th, 2025

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

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West, Haines Pass.

Assess your line for wind slab before committing, slabs may be small but reactive.

Buried layers may be reactive in shallow snowpacks, shift to simple terrain at signs of instability.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche activity was last reported Saturday, with wind slabs to size 1.5 rider-triggered on south-facing slopes. Photos below.

Recent reports indicate snowpack variability exists throughout the region. A remotely triggered size 1.5 slab was reported on an east aspect at Nadahinni, likely occurring on Wednesday. And signs of instability were observed near Fraser Peak on Sunday. Choose conservative terrain in areas where the snowpack is shallow.

Snowpack Summary

Exposed terrain holds variable, wind-affected surfaces, while soft snow remains in sheltered areas. Due to variable winds, wind slabs may be present on multiple aspects.

Reports indicate that eastern White Pass and terrain south of Fraser Peak have a shallower, weaker snowpack.

A buried layer of surface hoar or a hard crust, 30 to 50 cm deep, has produced recent cracking, whumpfs, and remains reactive in tests. Read this MIN for more.

A December crust with facets sits 100 to 150 cm deep on all aspects up to 1750 m. This layer has not shown recent activity or significant test results.

Snow depth ranges from 100 cm at highway elevations to over 300 cm in the alpine.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy with flurries. 50 to 70 km/h southwest wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy with up to 3 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h southwest wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h southeast wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Thursday

Partly cloudy. 10 to 30 km/h southerly wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction, so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Shooting cracks, whumpfs, and recent avalanches are strong indicators of an unstable snowpack.
  • Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.

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.