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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 18th, 2024–Mar 19th, 2024

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

Regions

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

With freezing levels gradually decreasing natural avalanche activity will likely also decrease. Human-triggered avalanches remain possible.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Observations over the weekend were limited, however, we suspect recent widespread wet loose and wet slab avalanche activity.

Snowpack Summary

As sunny days and high freezing levels continue, more of the upper snowpack will get moist or wet. The snowpack remains generally unstable.

80 to 120 cm below the snow surface, a weak layer of faceted snow may exist sitting atop a crust on all but high north aspects.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Sunny. 0 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 8 °C. Freezing level 3000 m.

Tuesday

Cloud building throughout the day. 10 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 6 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level drops to 1300 m by the end of the day.

Thursday

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow at higher elevations. Freezing level 1500 m. 0 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
  • Avoid sun exposed slopes, especially if snow surface is moist or wet.
  • Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, avalanches may run surprisingly far.
  • Good day to make conservative terrain choices.

Problems

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.

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.