Regions
Vancouver Island.
Confidence
Moderate - Stable weather pattern, minimal alpine observations.
Travel/Terrain Advice
Spring-like conditions should persist through the forecast period. Avoid sunny slopes especially once the snow becomes moist or wet. Small loose wet avalanches have the potential for high consequences when travelling above cliffs or terrain traps. Watch for early season hazards such as exposed creeks, stumps, and tree wells especially below treeline.
Past Weather
Vancouver Island has seen a very stable weather pattern with little to no precipitation, light to moderate SE winds and temperatures ranging from -4oC to +12oC. Freezing levels have been above the highest of the peaks of the Island for the majority of the time.
Avalanche Summary
A few small loose wet avalanches at treeline and below treeline on exposed solar aspects. Small pinwheels forming.
Snowpack Description
Surface - Thin unsupportive melt freeze crust on solar aspects at all elevation in the morning, becoming moist in the afternoon. In shaded areas snow remains cold.
Upper - Snow remains cold and supportive on all but the most solar of aspects at all elevations. Some light wind transport from the dominant SE winds at treeline and alpine forming small drifts and exposing crust on windward slopes.
Mid - Well settled crust complex.
Lower - Well settled.
Weather Forecast
Light precipitation for the weekend likely in the form of rain for all but the highest elevations. Temperatures and freezing levels will remain high with potential freezing levels of up to 3600 m with the persistent high pressure system. Temperature inversion with low level clouds and morning fog in coastal sections.
Fri - No new snow. Winds light to moderate S-SE
Freezing level to 1200-3500 m
Sat - 1-7 mm of precipitation. Winds moderate SE
Freezing level to 950-3100 m
Sun - 0-5 mm of precipitation. Winds light to moderate SE
Freezing level to 2500-3700 m
Problems
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.