Avalanche Forecast
Regions: East Island, North Island, South Island, Vancouver Island, West Island.
Continued snowfall accumulation is bringing with it a high hazard in the alpine.
Be aware of avalanche runouts even at elevations with little snow.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
Observations are limited at this time of year. No new avalanches have been reported or observed. If you do head into the backcountry consider submitting a MIN report!
Snowpack Summary
Snow in the last 24 hours dusted the entire island and brought up to 20 cm at high elevations in some places while most of our area received around 8 to 12 cm. In open alpine areas, this new snow is sitting on wind slabs. At higher elevations, the snowpack is at approximately 80 cm. More snow coming today will continue to cover surface roughness but below treeline is expected to remain below the threshold for avalanches for now.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Cloud, 20 - 25 cm accumulation, southerly wind 40 km/h gusting to 65 km/h, -5 C at 1500 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy, 15 to 20 cm accumulation, southwest 20 km/h gusting to 55, alpine temperatures -6 to -10 C at 1500 m.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud, trace accumulation, winds south 25 km/h gusting to 50, -5 to -10 C at 1500m with freezing level to sea level.
Friday
Cloudy with sunny periods, 2 to 10 cm accumulation, winds southwest 30 km/h, temperatures -5 to -8 C at 1500 m with freezing levels around 500m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for fresh storm slabs building throughout the day.
- Travel in alpine terrain is not recommended.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Tuesday night's storm will bring with it substantial accumulations at all elevations. Rapid and intense loading will produce naturally triggered avalanches. Wind slabs may form later in the day as snowfall dissipates.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Very Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2