Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 29th, 2025–Mar 30th, 2025

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

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

Sea To Sky, South Coast Inland, Homathko, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Sunshine can have a powerful effect on stability - and your desire to push into aggressive terrain. Deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A widespread avalanche cycle occurred in the region mid last week, with avalanches up to size 3.5 (very large) reported. In many cases, storm slabs or wet avalanches stepped down to deeper persistent weak layers.

Natural avalanche activity has since tapered off, but human-triggered avalanches remain possible to likely at upper elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of moist snow from Saturday sits over a crust forming over a wet upper snowpack at most elevations. In the high alpine, southerly wind has likely redistributed the recent snow into deeper deposits on northerly aspects.

The early March weak layer of facets, or surface hoar on a crust, is now down 60 to 130 cm. Very large avalanches (up to size 3.5) were reported on this layer this past week. Weak layers formed in mid-February and late-January are now buried 140 to 200 cm deep.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Clear. 5 to 15 km/h south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level dropping to valley bottom.

Sunday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Daytime freezing level 2000 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow above 1500 m, light rain below. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Daytime freezing level 2000 m.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Daytime freezing level 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
Avoid exposure to overhead hazards when solar radiation is strong.
Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

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.