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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 1st, 2024–Mar 2nd, 2024

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

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

While snow is tapering off and natural activity may stop, dangerous avalanche conditions still exist

Stick to the most conservative terrain, avoid all large slopes and any overhead hazard

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Widespread avalanche activity was observed Thursday. Natural and human-triggered avalanches were reported within the storm snow, including several notable remotely triggered storm slabs to size 3, which indicates a very sensitive snowpack.

Avalanches occurred on all aspects and on several bed surfaces - including within the storm snow and on buried weak layers up to 130 cm deep.

Snowpack Summary

50 to 120 cm of recent snow has been heavily wind affected in exposed terrain. Storm snow sits over wind-affected surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed areas at all elevations.

Multiple weak layers exist in the upper and mid snowpack. The most concerning weak layer is found down 50 to 120 cm with a layer of facets (or in isolated areas, preserved surface hoar) above a thick crust.

This layer is the culprit of recent remotely-triggered avalanches in low-angle terrain indicating the need for cautious decision making. Professionals remain very concerned about how this layer is reacting to the new load, and significant uncertainty exists around when the snowpack will gain strength.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Cloudy with 5-10 cm of snowfall ending early in the night. 30-40 km/h southerly winds. Freezing level drops to valley bottom.

Saturday

Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. 15-35 km/h southeast winds. Treeline temperature -9 °C. Freezing level around 600 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. 30-40 km/h southeast winds. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level around 800 m.

Monday

Light overnight snowfall ends early Monday morning.

Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. Light southwest southwest winds. Treeline temperature -10 °C. Freezing level around 500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.
  • Remote triggering is a concern, avoid terrain where triggering slopes from below is possible
  • Brief periods of sun could quickly initiate natural avalanche activity.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.