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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 6th, 2026–Jan 7th, 2026

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

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Powell River, Spearhead, Tantalus, Sky Pilot.

In the wake of the past storm, continue to give new snow time to settle and stabilize.

Seek simple terrain before easing into anything consequential.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain.
  • Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

Storm slabs were reactive to skier traffic and explosive control around Whistler on Monday. Numerous large storm slabs (up to size 2) and one very large (size 3) were reported on all aspects in the alpine.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 50 cm of new snow is found at treeline. Strong winds in alpine and tree line elevations has pressed and stripped the upper snowpack, whilst transporting snow to North through to East aspect terrain. This new snow overlies a variety of surfaces, including a crust on south-facing aspects, wind-affected snow on north-facing terrain above 2100 m, and surface hoar on isolated, sheltered features.

The mid-December crust is 100 to 200 cm deep and well-bonded to the snow above. Above 2200 m, this crust is absent and a layer of facets and a crust from November is found at the base of the snowpack. These layers are not currently a concern.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. 5 to 20 cm of snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 600 m.

Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 4 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level 400 m.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 25 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 900 m.



More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid areas with overhead hazard.
  • Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.