Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Garibaldi, North Shore, Powell River, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, South Coast, Stave, Tantalus, Tetrahedron.
As snow piles up expect reactive storm slabs to form.
If you see 20 cm or more of new snow, expect the hazard to go up.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
To the immediate north of our region, there were three wind slab avalanches reported. These were size ones that were triggered accidentally and naturally. These were found at elevations as low as below treeline. With incoming snow and wind, expect to find similar conditions in our region on Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
The 20 cm that has been accumulating since Friday night will fall on a crust on solar aspects and at lower elevations, it may not bond well. Southerly winds have and continue to create wind slabs.
In general, the mid and lower snowpack is well-settled and bonded.
If you are a visual learner click here to get a look and explanation of the current snowpack.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Cloudy, 5 cm accumulation, winds south 20 to 35 km/h, freezing levels just under 1000 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy, trace accumulation with snow arriving in the evening, winds southeast 25 km/h gusting to 40, freezing levels reaching 1200 m.
Monday
Cloudy, starting Sunday night there will be up to 80 mm of precipitation falling as snow at treeline and above, winds 25 km/h gusting to 75, with freezing levels rising to 1700 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with sunny periods late in the day, 10 to 20 cm accumulation with higher amounts to the western regions, winds southwest 30 km.h, treeline temperatures -5 °C with freezing levels to 1000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
- Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
- The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
The snow that has been piling up since Friday night could amount to substantial accumulation by Sunday morning. Southerly winds will be redistributing the new snow during this time. The largest and most reactive slabs will likely be found on northerly aspects. Larger than-expected storm slabs are possible on southerly slopes and at lower elevations due to the underlying crust.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2