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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 24th, 2025–Mar 25th, 2025

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

Regions

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

Rain and high freezing levels can trigger avalanches on buried weak layers.

Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of high hazard.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

We expect avalanche activity to continue with both wet and large slab avalanches being easy to trigger during this warm period.

On Sunday, numerous human-triggered size 1.5 storm slabs like this one occurred in the alpine and upper treeline.

On Saturday near Whistler, a natural cornice fall triggered a size 3 slab on the slope below.

On Friday, an explosive-triggered size 2 storm slab was reported on the early March melt-freeze crust, on an east-facing slope in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

We have received up to 30 mm of recent precipitation; snow above 1500 m and rain below this elevation. Expect deeper and more reactive deposits on north—and east-facing slopes. This overlies 40 cm of recent snow. Expect to find rain-soaked or moist snow below 1500 m.

This overlies 50 cm of settled snow and then a melt-freeze crust on southerly slopes and at lower elevations.

A weak layer formed in early March found down 150 to 230 cm, consists of a crust on all aspects except high north-facing slopes. In some areas, a layer of surface hoar is found just above the crust.

Weak layers formed in mid-February and late January are now buried 200 to 300 cm deep.

Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Cloudy with up to 15 mm, falling as snow above 1500 m. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 0 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy with 5 mm, falling as snow above 2500 m. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level rises to 2500 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with trace precipitation. 40 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 6 °C. Freezing level 3000 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 25 to 40 mm, falling as snow above 1500 m. 50 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Only the most simple non-avalanche terrain with no overhead hazard is appropriate at this time.
  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
  • Use extra caution for areas that are experiencing rapidly warming temperatures for the first time.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.