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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2025–Apr 3rd, 2025

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

Northwest Coastal, Northwest Inland, Boundary, Stewart, Kispiox, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw.

Stay alert to changing conditions with elevation, aspect and time of day due to melt-freeze cycles. Loose wet avalanches or cornice falls may step down to trigger large persistent slabs.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Wet loose avalanches were reported up to size 1.5 from steep sunny slopes at all elevation. On Sunday, warm temperatures and sunshine triggered a few natural cornice falls, pulling slabs on the slopes below up to size 2.5. Evidence of large avalanches from last week continues to be reported. Many failed on the buried persistent weak layers.

Where a thick, supportive surface crust is found, we expect that triggering avalanches on buried weak layers is unlikely.

Snowpack Summary

Variable wind affect and wind slab covers open terrain at upper elevations. A crust is found up to 1500 m and higher on solar slopes. New surface hoar up to 10 mm has formed on treeline and alpine features sheltered from the sun and wind.

Three layers of concern currently exist in the upper-mid snowpack. Surface hoar and a crust that formed in mid-March can be found 30 to 70 cm below the snow surface. Below this, another layer of surface hoar that formed in early March can be found at a depth of 60 to 100 cm. Additionally, a layer of facets, surface hoar, and/or a crust from mid-February is buried 120 to 200 cm deep.

The remainder of the snowpack is well consolidated, and there are no current concerns.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Mainly clear. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level returning to valley bottom.

Thursday

Mainly sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

Friday

Mix of sun and clouds. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature + 2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Saturday

Mix of sun and clouds. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature + 4°C. Freezing level 2200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
  • Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • Avoid steep, sun-exposed slopes when the air temperature is warm or when solar radiation is strong.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.