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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 17th, 2025–Mar 18th, 2025

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

Regions

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Sasquatch, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron, Harrison-Fraser, Skagit.

Stay vigilant of changing conditions, especially when the March sun comes out.

Carefully manage your exposure to overhead hazards during periods of sun.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Evidence of natural and human-triggered avalanches (wind and storm slabs) from this stormy weekend is still being reported in the Sky Pilot area.

Small sluffs were easily triggered by skiers on steep northerly slopes while unstable wet snow was observed on southerly slopes due to solar radiation throughout the region.

Thanks for sharing your observations via the MIN if you are going out into the backcountry.

Snowpack Summary

The region received 20 to 25 cm of recent snow this past weekend, totaling 120 cm of recent storm snow, which is settling out rapidly. Unsettled conditions have brought up to 35 cm of new snow in localized areas.

At upper elevations, strong winds have formed deeper deposits of wind-transported snow. At treeline and below, the new snow sits above a crust. The snow reportedly has a good bond to the underlying crust. Southerly slopes were affected by the sun, resulting in heavy wet snow, especially at lower elevations.

Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Mostly clear. 20 to 30 km/h norhtwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 600 m.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and clouds. 15 to 25 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 60 to 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4°C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 15 to 25 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5°C. Freezing level 800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.
  • Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.

Problems

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.

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.