Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Feb 2 – 3, 2025Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Avoid areas where the wind is actively depositing snow, wind slabs are most reactive as they are forming.

Very large avalanches are a concern in alpine terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Strong outflow (northeast) wind is actively building wind slabs on south and west aspects

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2.5–3.5

    The 150 to 250 cm deep weak layer from early December continues to produce large avalanches.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Recent snow continues to produce natural and human triggered avalanches

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Friday:

  • Recent snow and wind produced a number of large and small natural and human triggered storm slab avalanches on all aspects and at all elevations.

On Thursday:

  • Two size 3 persistent slab avalanches were reported on southerly aspects in the alpine, both avalanches stepped down to layers from December. One of them was remote triggered from 30 m away!

On Wednesday:

  • A size 3 natural triggered persistent slab avalanche was reported on a north aspect in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

There has been 30 to 60 cm of new snow since Wednesday, that is being redistributed by strong north east wind, reverse loading features at all elevations.

A surface hoar layer that is between 50 - 90cm deep.

Buried weak layers from December, 150 to 250 cm deep, include crusts, facets, and/or surface hoar, and continue to produce large avalanches.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Mostly clear with flurries. 30 to 60 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -25 °C.

Sunday

Sunny. 30 to 70 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -24 °C.

Monday

Sunny. 40 to 80 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -24 °C.

Friday Night

Sunny. 30 to 70 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -21 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.

Regions covered