Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Vancouver Island.
A variable supportive to breakable crust or moist snow at surface reduce the likelihood of avalanche activity, but makes travel difficult and hazardous.
Confidence
High - We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast
Weather Forecast
The ridge of high pressure over the BC interior will weaken on Wednesday morning as a Pacific frontal system pushes eastward spreading snow to the coastal ranges.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with isolated showers, trace of precipitation, 15-30 km/h southwesterly winds, low treeline temperature 0 C with freezing level at 1300 m.
WEDNESDAY: Wet snow mixed with rain, accumulation 5-10 cm, 30-50 km/h southerly winds, high treeline temperature 0 C with freezing level at 1300 m.
THURSDAY: Wet snow mixed with rain, accumulation 15-25 mm, 60-80 km/h westerly winds, high treeline temperature +2 C with freezing level going down to 1000 m.
FRIDAY: Sunny, no precipitation, 50-70 km/h northwesterly winds, high treeline temperature +4 C with freezing level at 2500 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity have been reported over the last few days.
Observations remain limited. If you head out into the mountains please share any observations or photos on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Heavy rain and warm temperatures have saturated the surface snow to at least 2100 m, forming a surface crust as temperatures cool the wet snow. Below this crust, snow is moist down 25-50 cm where several previous crusts are now breaking down.
The middle and base of the snowpack are strong, consisting of well-bonded snow and various hard melt-freeze crusts.
Terrain and Travel
- A crust on the surface will help bind the snow together, but may make for tough travel conditions.
- As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.