Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Mar 2nd, 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
Time to reassess the snowpack. Tune into developing surface instabilities as new snow accumulates, but don't rule out persistent slabs lurking where surface crust is thin or absent.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Saturday was another busy day for persistent slabs, with more natural, remote, and explosives-triggered releases failing on the same late-Jan crust, fitting a pattern of recent persistent activity, generally from size 2-3 and at treeline and above.
Skiers were caught in size 1.5 releases Tuesday and again on Friday with a partial burial.
Size 2 - 3 deep persistent slabs were also explosives-triggered Wednesday, showing the basal snowpack reacting to large triggers.
Snowpack Summary
New snow will begin to bury a melt-freeze crust or moist snow which makes up the surface on solar aspects and on all aspects below 2000 m. This crust tops the upper part of 20 to 45 cm of snow from last week, which was redistributed by strong southwest winds at treeline and above. In shelter, it sits over a surface hoar or crust layer from mid-February.
Two more weak layers exist: a layer of facets, surface hoar, or crust from late-Jan buried 30 to 50 cm deep, and a layer of facets from early Dec, buried 70 to 120 cm deep. In many areas, facets or depth hoar also exist at the base of the snowpack. These layers, particularly the late-January layer, remain a concern at higher elevations where strong surface crusts are absent.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Becoming cloudy. 0 to 15 km/h north ridgetop wind. Freezing level to 900 m.
Monday
Cloudy with scattered flurries bringing about 5 cm of new snow above 1600 m, continuing overnight. 5 to 10 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m. Treeline temperature around 0 °C.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud with another 5 cm of new snow from overnight. 0 to 5 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, up to 30 km/h in alpine, increasing. Freezing level 1700 m. Treeline temperature around 0 °C.
Wednesday
Mainly cloudy with scattered flurries and less than 5 cm of new snow above 1600 m, light rain below. 5 to 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1700 m, treeline temperature around 0 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
- Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
- Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
Problems
Persistent Slabs
A trio of weak layers exist below the most recent storm snow with the most active layer about 60 cm below the surface. These layers were reactive during the warmup and remain a concern where strong surface crusts haven't formed.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wind Slabs
Small wind slabs may form in open terrain at higher elevations as new snow accumulates.
Aspects: South East, South, South West, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 3rd, 2025 4:00PM
