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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 19th, 2025–Dec 20th, 2025

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 possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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 possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

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

Continued flurries and wind will keep the avalanche hazard elevated.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to how quickly the snowpack will recover and gain strength.
  • Uncertainty is due to the speed, direction, or duration of the wind and its effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Explosive control work on Thursday and Friday produced reactive slabs in wind-loaded, northerly terrain, up to size 1.5. Riders found reactive pockets in the immediate lees of ridgetop features, up to size 1.

On Wednesday, numerous explosive and skier-triggered storm slab avalanches were reported across a variety of aspects and elevations, up to size 2.

Snowpack Summary

Approximately 30 to 60 cm of recent storm snow has accumulated, accompanied by strong to extreme southerly alpine winds.

Below the recent snow, a melt-freeze crust is present at elevations of 2200 m and below. The depth of this layer is highly variable due to extensive recent wind transport.

A crust with associated facets, formed in mid-November, is buried an estimated 80 to 150 cm deep. This layer remains a concern in alpine terrain where it has not been capped by a strong overlying crust.

Weather Summary

Friday night
Cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Saturday
Cloudy. 5 to 15 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Sunday
Cloudy. 15 to 25 cm of snow. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday
Cloudy. 25 cm of snow. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Stay off recently wind loaded slopes until they have had a chance to stabilize.
  • Keep your guard up as storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
  • Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.

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.