Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Monday

Monday: Light rain, with snowfall possible only at very high elevations. Freezing level around 2600 m. Light to moderate south-easterly to south-westerly winds.

Several size 1-2 avalanches were triggered by people and explosives on Friday following overnight snow and wind. These failed on a crust or within recent storm snow layers. Natural avalanches were also triggered by sunshine on solar aspects, and a size 2 natural slab was observed on a NW aspect in Garibaldi Park. On Saturday, similar activity continued.

20 cm of snow which fell on Thursday night was shifted into wind slabs on slopes lee to the south or south-west. Around 50 cm of snow now overlies a buried crust, which has been acting as an easy sliding layer. Solar warming de-stabilized new snow above this crust on Friday and Saturday. Warm temperatures through Saturday night didn't allow the snow surface to refreeze. This pattern is likely to continue for the next few days, which could lead to a weak, wet snowpack at all elevations. A deeper crust layer from late March, buried within the upper 2 m of the snowpack, remains a lingering concern for big avalanches, particularly during times of intense or prolonged snowpack warming. Large cornices threaten slopes. Glide slab releases are a possibility, especially in steep rocky terrain.