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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 25th, 2023–Jan 26th, 2023

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

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Powell River, Spearhead, Tantalus, Sasquatch.

Warm weather avalanche problems will decrease as the temperatures fall through the day.

Watch for signs of surface instabilities while in above zero temperatures or full sun.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, one new small skier remote wind slab avalanche was reported in the Whistler area at 1650 m on a north aspect. This avalanche was reported to slide on the melt-freeze crust that exists below 1900 m.

On Sunday, a few natural wind slab avalanches were observed in the region. The largest was a size 2.5 on a north-northeasterly slope at 2100 m.

On Saturday, reports were limited to a few explosive cornice releases to size 2, and thin size 1 wind and storm slab releases in steep alpine terrain.

Snowpack Summary

A 1-2 cm melt-freeze crust caps 10-20 cm of wind redistributed storm snow. This crust should break down rapidly in full sun and warmer temperatures, but may be preserved in some places.

Above 1900 m, this sits on 20-40cm of rapidly settling snow.

Below 1900 m, 10-30 cm of settled snow overlays on a melt-freeze crust from mid-January. This crust has been active in recent reports

Below 1600m there is a thick melt freeze crust which is helping to strengthen the snowpack.

The lower snowpack is still being monitored by professionals. There are weak facet/crust layers that exist 100-250cm deep from early season. Although unlikely, there remains a concern for large loads (e.g. cornice failure) or riders to trigger these layers in thin spots. The possibility of triggering these layers may increase in the warmer temperatures. In general, the current snowpack is thinner and weaker than is typical.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy. No new precipitation. Northwesterly ridge top winds 15-30 km/h. 1500m temperature high of +2 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

Thursday

Increasing cloudiness through the day. No new precipitation. Northwesterly ridge top winds 25-60 km/h. 1500m temperature high of +1 °C. Freezing level falling from 2000 m to 1500 m.

Friday

Mainly sunny. 1-4 cm new from overnight. Northwesterly ridge top winds 20 km/h. 1500 m temperature high of -1 °C. Freezing levels 800 m.

Saturday

Mix of sun and clouds. No new precipitation. Ridge top winds 20-40 km/h. 1500 m temperature high of -3°C. Freezing levels at valley bottom.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

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.

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.