Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 23rd, 2019–Apr 24th, 2019

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

Regions

South Coast Inland.

Wind slabs may react to human triggers around ridges and lee features. Loose wet avalanches remain a concern, especially on sunny slopes.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with isolated wet flurries, light west wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level 800 m.

WEDNESDAY: A mix of sun and clouds, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1800 m.

THURSDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods, light east wind, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 2000 m.

FRIDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods, light southwest wind gusting to 40 km/h, alpine temperature 0 C, freezing level 2000 m.

Avalanche Summary

Snowballing and loose wet avalanches to size 1.5 were observed in the Duffey Lake area on Saturday.

There have been few observations in the South Coast Inland Region, however the neighboring Sea to Sky region observed a natural avalanche cycle into Saturday. Loose wet avalanches to size 2, wet slab avalanches to size 3, and large cornices failing naturally and triggering slab avalanches to size 3 on the slopes below were reported around the region.

If you have any recent observations during your travels, we would greatly appreciate it. If you posted a photo or any other information to the Mountain Information Network (MIN), thanks!

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine, up to 10 cm cold wind-affected snow is holding onto northerly aspects. Recent precipitation fell as rain upwards of 1800 m. Southerly winds have produced isolated drifts around ridges and in immediate lee features at upper elevations, cornices have been touchy recently.

A crust is found on solar alpine slopes and all aspects below. Warm overnight temperatures will prevent crust recovery as you lose elevation. Expect thin surface crusts to break down quickly with daytime warming. Below treeline the snowpack is saturated and rapidly melting.

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.

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.