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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 18th, 2025–Mar 19th, 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, 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

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Sasquatch, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron, Harrison-Fraser, Skagit.

Fresh wind slabs will build throughout the day with new snow and wind. Be mindful as you travel into lee terrain and near ridge crests, where slabs will be more reactive.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, dry loose avalanches were easily triggered by skiers on steep northerly slopes while unstable wet snow was observed on southerly slopes due to solar radiation throughout the region.

Thanks for sharing your observations via the MIN if you are going out into the backcountry.

Snowpack Summary

20 to 25 cm of recent snow exists, with deeper deposits of wind-transported snow in lee terrain at upper elevations. Southerly slopes have been sun-affected and the surface snow is moist and/or heavy snow.

This sits over 120 cm of settling storm snow from the past week. The snow reportedly has a good bond to the underlying crust. Southerly slopes were affected by the sun, resulting in heavy wet snow, especially at lower elevations.

Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of new snow. 60 to 80 km/h southeaast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 30 to 40 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 20 to 30 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.

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.