Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 19th, 2024–Feb 20th, 2024

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.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

Keep your caution up around wind slabs you'd normally expect to have stabilized by now. A layer of weak snow has given some slabs an unusually long life.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

A skier accidentally triggered an small (size 1) wind slab avalanche on Friday on Mt. Joan in the Beaufort Range. Check out this MIN for full details. It is a good reminder that a problematic layer exists below some wind slab formations that has kept them surprisingly sensitive to triggering.

Snowpack Summary

Around 2-8 cm of recent snow has fallen at upper elevations and likely redistributed by southeast winds.

This snow sits on a variety of surfaces, including crust on sun-exposed slopes, old wind slabs, and up to 20 cm of old, soft, faceted snow in sheltered northerly terrain. In isolated areas, wind slabs may be more reactive where they overlie facets and surface hoar.

The mid and lower pack contains deteriorating old crusts and storm layers that are now for the most part dense, homogenous, and moist.

Below treeline, most areas are below the threshold for forming avalanches.

Check out this latest MIN for more info

Weather Summary

Monday night

Cloudy with isolated flurries. 10-15 km/h southeast alpine wind. Freezing level remaining near 1700 m.

Tuesday

Cloudy with wet flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow to the alpine. Light rain below about 1500 m, continuing overnight. 15 - 30 km/h southwest alpine wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C with freezing level to 1600 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with wet flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow to higher elevations, light rain below about 1300 m, easing overnight. 30 - 40 km/h southeast alpine wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C with freezing level to 1400 m.

Thusday

Cloudy with 36-hour snow totals of up to 20 cm in the alpine, tapering rapidly at lower elevations. 15 - 20 km/h southeast alpine wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C with freezing level around 1400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.

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.

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.