Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 26th, 2024–Feb 27th, 2024

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

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist at higher elevations where new snow struggles to bond to surfaces below

Human triggering potential persists as natural avalanche activity tapers off

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, evidence of a size 2 and a size 3, natural, persistent slab avalanches were observed from a distance by operators in the Duffey area. These avalanches occurred on steep, exposed morainal features and likely occurred during the storm.

Backcountry users in the area continue to report signs of instability such as shooting cracks and snow pillows failing on the persistent weak layer.

Snowpack Summary

5 to 25 cm of storm snow and strong southwest winds have created fresh wind slabs in open areas at treeline and above. Recent snow overlies a variety of surfaces including a crust on south facing slopes, wind affected surfaces in open areas, and faceted surfaces in sheltered areas.

20 to 60 cm down is a widespread crust with a weak layer of facets or isolated surface hoar above this crust. This problematic layering remains a concern with recent avalanche activity and snowpack tests showing reactivity. Human-triggering avalanches on this layer remains possible.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Partly cloudy with 0 to 3 cm of snow. 10 to 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.

Tuesday

Partly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m throughout the day.

Thursday

Partly cloudy with 0 to 4 cm of snow. 10 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing levels around 800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.

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.