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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 20th, 2025–Feb 21st, 2025

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron.

A series of storms continue to bombard the coast with heavy precipitation and warming temperatures, bringing dangerous avalanche conditions to the mountains.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Recent explosive control produced small storm slab avalanches on the North shore.

Over the weekend, the new storm snow was showing poor bonding to underlying weak layers. As the storm snow continues to pile up, these layers may produce large avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50 mm of precipitation has fallen across the coast over the past two days. In sheltered terrain this new snow may overlie soft, faceted snow or surface hoar. In exposed terrain it will overlie a sun crust or wind-affected snow.

At lower elevations, a new crust likely exists below the heavy, moist storm snow.

A late-January weak layer (hard crust, facets, or surface hoar) is buried 80 to 120 cm deep, this layer could become reactive the more the precipitation adds load on it.

The lower snowpack is strong and bonded.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Cloudy with 10 to 20 mm of mixed precipitation. 15 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1200 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 15 to 20 mm of mixed precipitation. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1400 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 20 to 60 mm of precipitation. 40 to 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 15 to 35 mm of precipitation. 40 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.