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
Vancouver Island.
Travel & Terrain Advice
Avoid cornice exposure above and below. Temperatures will rise with elevation, and conditions will change rapidly with alpine and treeline warming. Trees, rocks and steep terrain above will begin to shed snow and could affect lower elevations.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche control at Mount Washington on Wednesday produced numerous size 1-1.5 storm slabs on all aspects below 1600 m. These avalanches ranged in depth from 15-70 cm and ran on buried surface hoar. Wind affected areas were more stubborn, requiring a moderate load and sheltered terrain was easily triggered with a light load.
Snowpack Summary
Surface hoar development in below treeline areas, wind and sun affected surfaces in exposed areas. Well settled snow pack.
Snowpack Details
Surface: Surface hoar in fog bands, wind affected storm snow and moist solar aspect surfaces elsewhere. Upper: Well settled. Mid: Well settled. Lower: Well settled and dense.
Past Weather
Inversions above 1000 m. Light winds and no precipitation.
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY: Trace precipitation with freezing levels to 2500 m. Moderate W wind. SATURDAY: No precipitation with freezing levels to 2900 m. Moderate SW wind. SUNDAY: No precipitation with freezing levels to 2600 m. Moderate variable wind.
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.
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.