Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, South Coast Inland, Stein, Taseko.
Sunny aspects may soften this afternoon, providing the best riding conditions but also heightened avalanche danger. Buried weak layers remain triggerable and high consequence.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Saturday, natural loose wet avalanches up to size 2 were observed out of steep rocky terrain. Most persistent slab avalanche activity was explosive-triggered, size 2 to 3, some targeting cornices which triggered slabs on slopes below.
Last week, a flurry of very large, scary persistent slab avalanche activity was reported at alpine and treeline elevations. Naturals and remotely triggered slabs size 2 to 3 showed wide propagation, with crowns 50 to 100 cm deep.
Snowpack Summary
A widespread surface crust exists on most aspects and elevations.
Around 40 cm of settled snow sits over a weak layer of facets, surface hoar and sun crust buried in mid February. Numerous large natural and remote-triggered avalanches failed on this layer last week.
Another weak facet/crust/surface hoar layer, from late January, is buried 60 to 80 cm deep. This layer has been the culprit for many very large natural, remote and human-triggered avalanches near Whistler last week.
Weather Summary
Sunday night
Mostly cloudy with a trace of snow. 10 to 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Freezing level dropping from 1900 to 1000 m.
Monday
Sunny. <10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Wednesday
A mix of sun and cloud with a trace of snow. 10 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.
- Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you're most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
- Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices.
Avalanche Problems
Persistent Slabs
Buried weak layers have been reactive in the past week. Although the likelihood may be decreasing, the consequences of triggering an avalanche on these layers is high.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1.5 - 3