Avalanche Forecast
Regions: North Shore, Powell River, South Coast, Tetrahedron.
Challenging travel conditions exist at treeline and below.
Small, reactive pockets of wind slab may be found on the highest ridgetops.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported.
If you head into the backcountry by any method of travel, please consider submitting observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Expect the upper snowpack to be dry snow in the alpine, and a mix of moist snow and frozen crusts at treeline and below. Freezing levels have gone up and down as light precipitation has continued.
The recent snow is settling rapidly and bonding well to the warm and moist snow beneath. The snowpack below 1500 m has been soaked with rain or diminishing rapidly.
Total snow depths at ski hills and remote stations are 50 to 70 cm, with closer to 100 cm possible at treeline. Many areas are below the threshold depth for avalanches.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow above 1100 m, or above 800 m on the Sunshine Coast. Light to moderate south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -1 °C.
Wednesday
Cloudy. 3-5 cm of snow above 1000 m. Light south or southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2° C.
Thursday
Cloudy. 15-25 cm of snow expected above 1000 m. Moderate to strong southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C.
Friday
Cloudy. 25-35 cm of snow expected above 750 m. Strong southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where even small avalanches may have severe consequences.
- Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Small pockets of wind slab may develop on lee terrain features at upper elevations with bits of new snow. Even small avalanches could be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5