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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 22nd, 2026–Feb 23rd, 2026

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

This storm has brought over 100 cm of snow so far

Avoid avalanche terrain until the storm is over and the snow has time to settle.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about forecast precipitation amounts.
  • We are confident a natural avalanche cycle will begin shortly after the arrival of the incoming weather.
  • We are confident the likelihood of avalanches will increase with the forecast weather.

Avalanche Summary

There have been several reports of widespread cracks and whoompfs in the flats with extensive audible avalanche activity throughout the storm.

On Saturday, several skier-triggered storm slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported at all elevations. The wind has been reportedly reloading start zones rapidly, allowing slopes to be triggered multiple times.

Snowpack Summary

Over the past three days, over 100 cm of new snow has fallen on a widespread layer of surface hoar ranging from 30 mm below treeline to 5 mm in the alpine.

A crust from early February is down 75 to 150 cm and in most areas appears to be well bonded. However, snowpack tests showed concerning results on this layer in the Prince of Wales range on Wednesday.

The remainder of the snowpack is well settled. The snowpack depth at treeline ranges from 85 to 130 cm, and there is still very little snow below treeline.

While new snow has improved riding conditions, access is still a challenge, with new snow on bare rock/ground at low elevations.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy. 15 to 25 cm of snow. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 15 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

Wednesday
Mainly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
  • Think carefully about your exit plan from the backcountry because avalanche danger is expected to increase throughout the day.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.