Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 5th, 2025–Apr 6th, 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.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Forecast 10 to 20 cm of snow and southerly wind on Sunday may form fresh wind slabs at upper elevations.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, no new avalanches were reported.

NOTE: Observations are currently very limited in this region.

Snowpack Summary

Forecast 10 to 20 cm of snow and southerly wind on Sunday may form fresh wind slabs at upper elevations.

These slabs will overlie mostly crusty surfaces other than northerly aspects in the alpine where the snow surface remained dry.

Persistent weak layers from January, February, and March are buried 50 to 150 cm deep across the region, though their current reactivity remains uncertain.

At lower elevations, the rain-saturated snowpack thins quickly with elevation.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Sunday

Moslty cloudy with flurries, 10 to 20 cm snow above 1700 m, rain below. Another 10 to 20 cm of snow overnight. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Monday

Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, 0 to 5 cm snow. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 10 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.

Problems

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.

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.