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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 11th, 2024–Apr 12th, 2024

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

Regions

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

Spring is a dynamic time of year. Conditions can vary widely and change rapidly.

Verify conditions in your local area and tune in to changes with aspect, elevation and time of day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday, a few natural cornice-triggered storm and wind slabs (size 2) were reported from north-facing alpine terrain.

Looking forward to Friday, riders should take a conservative approach, the recent storm snow will need time to settle and stabilize. Pay attention to changing conditions and be mindful of your overhead exposure- cornices have triggered large avalanches in recent days.

Snowpack Summary

15 to 40 cm of recent snowfall overlies up to 30 cm of more settled, wind-affected snow. This is sitting on a crust on all slopes except true north-facing terrain at upper elevations.

Many areas below treeline are either snow-free or have very thin snow coverage. Expect difficult travel at lower elevations.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow accumulation above the rain-snow line. 15 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

Friday

Cloudy with afternoon clearings. Light variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature reaches a high of 0 °C. Freezing level rises to 1600 m.

Saturday

Mostly sunny. 5 to 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature reaches a high of +5 °C. Freezing level rises to 2500 m.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. 15 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
  • Watch for changing conditions today, storm slabs may become increasingly reactive.
  • Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.
  • Minimize overhead exposure; avalanches triggered by warming or cornice fall may be large and destructive.

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.