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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 23rd, 2026–Feb 24th, 2026

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
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

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

New snow and wind loading have formed reactive storm slabs.

Make conservative choices and be very wary of exposure to overhead hazards, especially when the sun is out.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are confident a natural avalanche cycle will begin shortly after the arrival of the incoming weather.
  • We are uncertain about how the timing or intensity of solar radiation will affect the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Numerous natural storm slab avalanches (size 1.5) were reported on Sunday. Reports of widespread cracks and whumpfs in the upper snowpack were seen in flats with audible avalanche activity throughout the storm.

On Saturday, several skier-triggered storm slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported at all elevations. The wind has been reportedly reloading start zones rapidly, allowing slopes to be triggered multiple times.

Snowpack Summary

Over the past three days, over 100 cm of new snow has fallen on a widespread layer of surface hoar ranging from 30 mm below treeline to 5 mm in the alpine.

A crust from early February is down 75 to 150 cm and in most areas appears to be well bonded. However, snowpack tests showed concerning results on this layer in the Prince of Wales range on Wednesday.

The remainder of the snowpack is well settled. The snowpack depth at treeline ranges from 85 to 130 cm, and there is still very little snow below treeline.

While new snow has improved riding conditions, access is still a challenge, with new snow on bare rock/ground at low elevations.

Weather Summary

Monday Night
Partly cloudy. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 900 m.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 3 to 25 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Use increased caution at all elevations. Storm snow is forming touchy slabs.
  • Avoid sun-exposed slopes, especially if the snow surface is moist or wet.
  • Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.

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.

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.