Avalanche Forecast
Regions: East Island, North Island, South Island, Vancouver Island, West Island.
Continue to make good terrain travel choices.
Watch for changing weather conditions as you move through the backcountry and continue to assess snow stability.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Recent avalanche activity has been limited to small (size 1) loose dry avalanches out of steep northerly aspects this past weekend.
Snowpack Summary
A moist or crusty surface has formed on southerly aspects treeline and below. Since Friday, some areas have seen up to 20 to 30 cm fall. Northerly winds may have redistribution some fo this snow. In many areas, this sits on a crust except for shaded terrain above 1600 m. The new snow is expected to bond well to the old layers, but could potentially be poor where dry snow sits over a hard crust.
The middle and lower portions of the snowpack are strong and well-bonded.
Weather Summary
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, tace accumulation with 5 cm on the east side of the island, winds northwest 25 k/h, freezing levels dipping down to 500 m.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud, no accumulation, winds northeast 10 km/h, freezing levels reaching 1200 m.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy, trace accumulation, winds south 45 km/h, freezing levels reaching 1100 m.
Thursday
Cloudy, 20 to 30 cm winds south 35 to 55 km/h, freeing levels to 1300 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
- Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
- Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent snow may remain triggerable in wind-loaded terrain features at upper elevations. as they may be poorly bonded to an underlying crust.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5