Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 26th, 2024–Jan 27th, 2024

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead.

With freezing levels anticipated to rise to over 2000m, watch for snow becoming wet, heavy, and more reactive on the crust below.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Thursday, multiple large (size 2) avalanches occurred, both naturally and from explosive control in the Whistler area.

On Wednesday a skier triggered a size 1 wind slab on a north facing roll in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

20 to 50 cm of recent storm snow has been redistributed into wind slabs by southerly winds. As this snow warms and sees rain for the first time, it will likely settle rapidly. This snow overlies a thick crust on all aspects and at all elevations. At lower elevations, moist snow is likely found.

The mid and lower snowpack consists of various old crusts and is generally well-settled and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy with 10 to 15 mm of mixed precipitation. South alpine wind, 20 to 50 km/h. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with 10 to 20 mm of rain during the day, with an additional 15 to 30 mm overnight. South alpine wind, 20 to 40 km/h. Freezing level rising to 2400 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 mm of rain expected during the day, with an additional 20 mm overnight. South alpine wind, 30 to 50 km/h. Freezing level rising to 2500 m.

Monday

Cloudy with up to 10 to 20 mm of rain. South alpine wind, 50 to 70 km/h. Freezing level 2500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

Problems

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.

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.