Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 4th, 2025 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.
Avalanche Canada,
Avalanche Canada
A hard crust on the snow surface will reduce the likelihood of triggering buried weak layers, but the consequences of an avalanche on these layers remain high.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Snowpack Summary
Small amounts of snow will bury a widespread crust on most aspects and elevations. A crust may not exist on north aspects above 2100 m.
Around 40 cm of settled snow sits over a weak layer of facets, surface hoar and sun crust buried in mid February. Numerous large natural and remote-triggered avalanches failed on this layer last week.
Another weak facet/crust/surface hoar layer, from late January, is buried 60 to 80 cm deep. This layer has been the culprit for many very large natural, remote and human-triggered avalanches near Whistler last week.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Thursday
Mostly sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
Friday
Partly cloudy. 10 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Buried weak layers are becoming harder to trigger, but consequences remain high. The most likely places to trigger them will be anywhere that doesn't have a supportive crust at the surface, such as high north aspects.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
New wind slab formation will be isolated to areas that receive new snow and wind, burying a slippery crust.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 5th, 2025 4:00PM
