Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 5th, 2026–Mar 6th, 2026

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 possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

New snow and wind continue to build the load on the persistent slab.

It is still possible that smaller wind slabs could trigger deep instabilities causing very large avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

We are confident that there are persistent slabs in the snowpack, but uncertain about how likely they are to trigger.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported on Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Monday, there was a natural avalanche cycle, mostly size 2, on solar slopes.

On Sunday, numerous natural avalanches up to size 3 were observed on solar aspects with strong sun. Several large (size 2) naturals were observed from wind-loaded alpine terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of new snow has fallen at upper elevations in the past two days. Strong south and west winds will have redistributed this snow into deeper deposits in wind-loaded areas. This new snow overlies a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects and lower elevations, and wind-affected layers at higher elevations.

A couple of persistent weak layers buried in the last week may exist in the upper 30 to 60 cm of the snowpack. These consist of surface hoar, facets and crusts.

Buried around 60 to 100 cm is a prominent, persistent weak layer of facets and crust from early February.

The remaining snowpack appears to be strong and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. 1 to 4 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 2 to 4 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Saturday

Mostly sunny. 1 to 2 mm of precipitation. 80 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Sunday

Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
Remote triggering is a concern; avoid terrain where triggering overhead slopes is possible.
Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.

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.

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.