Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 8th, 2025 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Storm Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
Avalanche Canada,
Avalanche Canada
New snow and strong winds will continue to build thick storm slabs on Sunday.
Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making are essential.
Summary
Confidence
Low
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Saturday by 4 pm.
As storm snow accumulates on Sunday, we anticipate an increase in avalanche activity throughout the day as storm slabs grow deeper and become more reactive.
If you are headed to the backcountry, please consider sharing your photos and observations from your day on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
By Sunday morning, storm snow totals are expected to be up to 20 cm, with an additional 15 to 30 cm of snow expected through the day. 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
Saturday Night
Cloudy with flurries, 5 to 20 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with flurries, 15 to 30 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level dropping through the day to 1000 m.
Flurries will continue overnight, 10 to 15 cm of snow.
Monday
Partly cloudy with light flurries, 2 to 4 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level around 1000 m.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy with light flurries, 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level around 1200 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.
- Dial back your terrain choices if you are seeing more than 30 cm of new snow.
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Problems
Storm Slabs
As storm snow accumulates and strong winds build deep pockets on lee slopes, storm slabs will become more sensitive to human triggering. Back off if you find signs of instability like whumpfing, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
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
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 9th, 2025 5:00PM
