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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 23rd, 2025–Feb 24th, 2025

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

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Our persistent weak layer is getting more sensitive and more destructive with each passing storm. Focus too much on new snow problems and you could miss the most critical piece of the hazard.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

Several size 1.5 storm slab/persistent slab avalanches have been reported recently, some have been triggered remotely from up to 10 m away. Two more of these were observed on the Hurley on Saturday. These avalanches have been sliding on the persistent weak layer of facets (now 40 - 60 cm deep) that formed during a clear spell in February. There are reports of wind contributing to slab development over this layer.

Snowpack Summary

5 - 15 cm of new snow, increasing with elevation, should accumulate by Monday morning, bringing us to 30 - 50 cm accumulation on top of various problematic surfaces formed during recent cold, dry conditions. These include weak surface hoar or faceted grains in sheltered, shaded terrain, and sun crusts on sun-affected slopes. This layer was named in several new avalanches on the Hurley on Saturday.

A layer of hard crust buried in late January, currently sitting beneath weak facets and less widespread surface hoar is now 40 to 80 cm deep. Some recent avalanches have failed on it. It's particularly active closer to Whistler.

The snowpack below is strong.

Weather Summary

Sunday night

Cloudy with flurries bringing 5 - 15 cm of new snow, increasing with elevation, rain below about 1000 m. 15 to 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1400 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1300 m - 1600 m.

Tuesday

Mainly sunny. 5 - 15 km/h variable south ridgetop wind. Freezing level reaching 1700 m.

Wednesday

Sunny. 20 - 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level shooting to 2300 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
  • Limit exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the 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.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.