Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Coquihalla, Manning, Skagit.
Storm slabs may be reactive to human triggering, especially at upper elevations.
Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making are essential.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported by Tuesday afternoon.
Storm slabs may be reactive to human triggers on Wednesday, especially at treeline and in the alpine on leeward slopes that have seen more wind loaded snow.
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 30 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
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with 3 to 8 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 10 cm of snow. 20 gusting to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Thursday
Cloudy. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5°C. Freezing level 500 m.
Friday
Mix of sun and cloud with a trace of new snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- Keep your guard up as storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm slabs may be reactive to human triggering, especially on leeward slopes that have deeper deposits of wind loaded snow. Back off if you find signs of instability like whumpfing, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
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