Avalanche Forecast
Regions: East Island, North Island, South Island, Vancouver Island, West Island.
Stormy weather continues !
Storm snow will be forming touchy slabs at higher elevations.
Continually assess the conditions and be prepared to adjust your plans.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche was reported, but visibility restricted field observations. Heavy rain from Saturday night likely produced a natural wet avalanche cycle and 15 to 30 cm of wet snow at higher elevations likely produced small storm slab activities on Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
15 to 30 cm of heavy new snow accumulated overnight has now buried a rain-saturated surface in most areas and new wet snow in the alpine and upper treeline. This storm snow likely produced short-lived surface instabilities.
A sandwich of surface hoar and faceted snow overlying the late January crust 60 cm deep produced concerning snowpack test results throughout last week. Although crust formation on Sunday should have capped this problem almost everywhere, its status in the alpine is still uncertain due to limited field observations.
The lower snowpack is well-settled.
Weather Summary
Monday Night
Cloudy with 20 to 30 cm of wet snow at higher elevations or rain below 1000 m. 80 to 100 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature stable around 0°C. Freezing level reaching 1300 m.
Tuesday
5 to 10 cm of wet snow or rain easing in the morning then partly cloudy. 30 to 40 km/h westerly ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +3°C. Freezing level reaching 1400 m.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 50 to 70 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +5°C. Freezing level reaching 2500 m.
Thursday
10 to 15 cm of heavy wet snow. 50 to 60 km/h southwesterly ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +3°C. Freezing level lowering to 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
- Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
Avalanche Problems
Storm Slabs
Additional wet snow amounts are likely increasing the reactivity of the storm slab problem. Expect the greatest hazard at higher elevations toward the west Island and where wind has formed deeper accumulations.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
60 cm below the surface, a combo of surface hoar, facets, and crust exists. Uncertainty remains about whether it's still a concern or not after these storms, so be wary of large triggers in north-facing alpine.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 1.5 - 2.5