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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 1st, 2022–Apr 2nd, 2022

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

Regions

Sea To Sky.

Some fresh snow has us checking for storm slab hazard at all elevations. Snowfall amounts are variable across the region. If you are finding less than 5cm of new snow, the avalanche forecast from yesterday may be more applicable. 

Confidence

Moderate - The snowpack structure is generally well understood. Uncertainty is due to the track & intensity of the incoming weather system. We are confident the likelihood of avalanche will increase with the arrival of the forecast weather.

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. 3-10 cm of snow expected, possibly more around Squamish. Light southwest ridgetop wind trending to moderate at high elevations. Freezing level falling to around 900 m.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with a sunny break mid-day. Light snowfall expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind trending to moderate west at high elevations. Freezing level rising to 1300 m through the day.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy, possible sunny break mid-day. 15-25 cm of snow expected overnight and through the day. Up to 35 cm closer to Squamish. Moderate south ridgetop wind, trending to extreme southwest at high elevations. 

MONDAY: Mostly cloudy. 25-35 cm of snow expected overnight and through the day. Up to 50 cm closer to Squamish. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind trending to extreme at higher elevations. 

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, near Whistler, explosive avalanche control produced mostly small cornice avalanches. One falling cornice caused a slab avalanche on the slope below, 50 cm deep. It was on a northwest aspect in the alpine.

On Wednesday, in the Blackcomb backcountry, two avalanches were reported on north aspects in the alpine: a small, rider triggered windslab, and a large, natural cornice failure that didn't trigger an avalanche on the slope below.

Snowpack Summary

5-15 cm of new snow covers a strong, supportive crust on all aspects into the alpine, and settled, soft snow above 2200 m in shaded alpine terrain.

The rest of the upper snowpack consists of a number of crust/facet/surface hoar interfaces buried in March that seem to have bonded during the recent warm weather. 

The mid and lower snowpack are generally strong and well bonded. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • Use small low consequence slopes to test the bond of the new snow.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.

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.