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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 1st, 2025–Mar 2nd, 2025

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

Coquihalla, Harrison-Fraser, Manning, Skagit.

Although cooling temperatures should have a stabilizing effect on the snowpack, uncertainty around buried weak layers is best managed through conservative terrain choices.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Recent avalanche activity has been mostly loose wet out of steep solar aspects, size 1-2. On Friday, several wind slab avalanches to size 1.5 were observed, at least one was triggered by a cornice failure.

Evidence of natural avalanches from the past weekend's storm may still be visible. Numerous very large (size 3.5 to 4) persistent slabs with impressive crowns (100 to 200 cm) have been observed in the Manning region.

Snowpack Summary

A widespread surface crust exists on most, if not all aspects and elevations. Below 1300 m, the snowpack is isothermal and disappearing quickly.

A weak layer of facets and/or surface hoar is buried 50 to 120 cm deep. Large avalanches ran on this layer last weekend and it continued to give easy results in snowpack tests during the week.

A crust from December, buried 1 to 2 m deep, has been observed to be breaking down.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Increasing cloud. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +3°C. Freezing level dropping to 2000 m.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with a trace of snow. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Monday

Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Tuesday

A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.

Problems

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.

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.