Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Coquihalla, Manning, Skagit.
New snow and strong winds will build fresh storm slabs on Sunday night.
Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making are essential.
Confidence
Low
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported by 4 p.m. on Sunday.
If you are headed to the backcountry, please consider sharing your photos and observations from your day on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 20 cm of storm snow blankets the region. Moderate southwest winds have redistributed storm snow into deeper pockets on lee slopes at the ridgeline. Storm snow covers a crust on all aspects except on high north-facing terrain, where new snow buries up to 20 cm of snow overlying a crust from earlier in March.
A layer of facets and surface hoar from late January can be found down 50 to 120 cm.
The lower snowpack contains several crusts that are not concerning.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Cloudy with flurries, 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Monday
Cloudy with light flurries, 1 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level dropping 1000 m.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy with light flurries, 2 to 7 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level around 1200 m.
Wednesday
Partly cloudy with light flurries, 1 to 4 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level around 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Keep your guard up as storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
As storm snow accumulates and moderate winds build deep pockets on lee slopes, storm slabs will become more sensitive to human triggering. Back off if you find signs of instability like whumpfing, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5
Persistent Slabs
This layer remains a concern on north-facing, alpine terrain where the snowpack depth is variable. This layer may become more reactive with the added stress of new snow and wind.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3