Avalanche Forecast

Moderate

Numerous small to very large avalanches were reported in the past week. Natural activity has declined, but small human-triggered slides persist daily. On Friday two separate parties accidentally triggered wind slabs near Whistler, and whumpfing was described in this MIN report.

Last Tuesday two notable avalanches were reported: One resulted in a person being fully buried for a lengthy time (MIN report here) and another was a near-miss for a snowmobiler. (Photo below)

Wind-affected snow and wind slabs formed by recent shifting wind can be found on various aspects at upper elevations. Steep sunny slopes may be moist or have a thin surface crust, shady slopes are growing surface hoar. 35 to 70 cm of old storm snow is slowly settling and has remained dry and powdery in many areas with cold temperatures. This snow is sitting on a weak layer that developed in late January: In most areas, it is a hard slippery crust, however, on shady, upper-elevation slopes, it may rest on faceted grains or surface hoar. The mid and lower snowpack is well-settled and bonded with no other layers of concern.

Saturday Night

Clear skies. 10 to 15 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.

Sunday

Sunny. 15 km/h northerly ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.

Monday

Sunny. 15 to 25 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C.

Tuesday

Sunny. 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to a buried crust.
• Avoid lee and cross-loaded slopes at alpine and treeline elevations.
• Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.