Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 9th, 2025 4:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Storm Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

Avalanche Canada Avalanche Canada, Avalanche Canada

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Look for signs of instability and assess the bond between new snow and the old surface as you move through terrain.

Be ready to back off if there's a weak bond between new snow and the old surface. 

Summary

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

There have been several reports of windslab avalanches up to size 2 at treeline and alpine elevations.

Persistent slab avalanches on the February weak layer have tapered off since earlier this week.

Snowpack Summary

20 cm of new snow is being redistributed by southerly winds. This new snow fell on a widespread layer of large surface hoar crystals, which sits on a crust on solar aspects and at low elevations. This should produce reactive or even touchy surface instabilities.

A layer of facets, surface hoar and/or a crust from mid-February are buried 50 to 100 cm deep. This layer produced large natural and human-triggered avalanches earlier this week.

The remainder of the snowpack is well consolidated with no concerns at this time.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy with 1 to 3 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Monday

Cloudy with 5 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy with 0 to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -7 °C. Freezing level 700 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with flurries. 30 - 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level 700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for larger than expected storm slabs due to buried surface hoar.
  • Use small, low consequence slopes to test the bond of the new snow.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.

Problems

Storm Slabs

An icon showing Storm Slabs

Recent snow has fallen on a layer of large surface hoar. There continue to be reports of avalanches being initiated on this layer.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

An icon showing Persistent Slabs

Buried persistent weak layers have produced large natural and human-triggered avalanches recently.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 3.5

Valid until: Mar 10th, 2025 4:00PM

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