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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 30th, 2024–Jan 31st, 2024

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

Regions

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

Rainfall has greatly altered and weakened the snowpack, hazard will remain elevated until temperatures drop back below freezing.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Evidence of widespread wet slab and wet loose avalanche activity over the last few days continues to be reported. Reports suggest numerous avalanches running full path to valley bottoms, up to size 3.5.

Snowpack Summary

In general, rain has heavily saturated and weakened the upper snowpack. In alpine terrain, the surface may have begun to refreeze and have up to 10 cm of dry snow above the moist snow.

At treeline and below the snowpack remains largely isothermal.

The mid and lower snowpack consists of various old crusts and is generally well-settled and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy with up to 5 mm of rain or wet snow, southeast alpine winds 30 to 50 km/h, freezing level around 2100 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10 to 30 mm of rain or wet snow (highest amounts around the Squamish area and decreasing as you move towards the Whistler area), southeast alpine terrain winds 30 to 50 km/h, freezing level around 2100 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 mm of rain or wet snow, southeast alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, freezing level around 1600 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with trace snow amounts, south alpine winds 10 to 30 km/h, freezing level around 1400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
  • Keep in mind that wet avalanches can be destructive due to their high density.
  • Carefully manage your exposure to overhead hazards while entering and leaving riding areas.

Problems

Wet Slabs

Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.

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.