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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 19th, 2025–Dec 20th, 2025

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

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

Early-season hazards are now much harder to see. Higher up, watch for signs of slab formation as you reach elevations where all our new snow sits on a smooth surface.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported, however, it's safe to assume a natural avalanche cycle took place during recent stormy weather. This would have been limited to alpine and some treeline terrain where previous coverage provided a smooth bed surface for avalanches.

We look forward to your MIN reports from checking out the snow!

Snowpack Summary

With additional snowfall forecast to begin Friday evening, the recent storm total could reach approximately 40 to 80 cm. This new snow has buried an underlying 20 to 50 cm layer of rain-saturated snow, capped by a crust.

Below roughly 1400 m, snowfall has primarily covered vegetation in forested areas, with patchy coverage persisting in open terrain.

Early-season hazards now concealed beneath the new snow will remain a concern until the snowpack settles and forms a more supportive surface, or until further snowfall provides deeper coverage.

Weather Summary

Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 600 m.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 30 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Monday
Mostly cloudy. 15 to 50 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be cautious of buried obstacles, especially below treeline.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.