Avalanche Forecast

High

A few cornices up to size 1.5 were triggered with explosives near Whistler on Monday and Tuesday. Several naturally-triggered cornices and loose wet avalanches were also reported. They were small to large (size 1.5 to 2) and initiated on steep sun-affected alpine slopes.

With a cooling trend in the forecast, we expect avalanche activity will be unlikely on Thursday. However, as storm snow accumulates Thursday night and Friday, avalanche danger will rise accordingly.

Previous strong sunshine and warm temperatures formed a crust on most surfaces, except on north-facing alpine slopes, where the old snow remains soft. Facets and surface hoar have been reported developing in shady, sheltered areas. A light dusting of up to 5 cm of new snow is expected by Thursday afternoon, with significantly more arriving Thursday night and Friday. The mid and lower snowpack is dense, well-settled, and currently free of concerning layers.

Check out this MIN report from the Blackcomb backcountry on Tuesday.

Wednesday Night

Clear, then increasing cloudiness. 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1300 m dropping to 500 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -5 °C. Freezing levels remain around 600 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 15 to 25 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 700 m rising to 1200 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 25 to 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -6 °C. Freezing level 400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
• Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
• Periods of low danger may be a good time to increase your exposure.