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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 16th, 2025–Feb 17th, 2025

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

Regions

Brandywine, Garibaldi, Spearhead, Tantalus.

Continue to assess steep lines for wind slab

Light snowfall and south wind has formed small wind slabs near ridge crests

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday explosives triggered storm and wind slabs up to size 1.5. It’s possible that more avalanche activity occurred but reports were not in yet at the time of publishing on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 10 cm of new snow has fallen with strong southeast wind, forming new wind slab on northerly aspects. In sheltered terrain this new snow may overlie soft, faceted snow or surface hoar. In exposed terrain it will overlie a sun crust or wind-affected snow.

A weak layer that was buried at the end of January is down 30 to 80 cm in the snowpack. Depending on where you are, it'll be a combo of different crystals. With crusts on sunny slopes, sugary facets in most places, and surface hoar in sheltered spots.

The mid and lower snowpack is strong and bonded.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of snow possible. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday

Mix of sun and cloud. 10 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

Tuesday

Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of snow. 15 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.

Wednesday

Cloudy with up to 5 mm of mixed precipitation. 25 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.

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.