Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 15th, 2022–Mar 16th, 2022

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

Avoid steep wind loaded terrain as up to 50 cm of stiff wind slabs overlie weak facets above a crust. Seek out wind sheltered terrain above 1200 m where the riding is surprisingly good. 

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations. We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

Weather Forecast

Tuesday night: Flurries up to 5 cm, 30-40 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature -3 C. Freezing level 800 m.

Wednesday: Flurries bringing a trace, 30-40 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature -3 C. Freezing level 1100 m.

Thursday: Snowfall 10-20 cm, 50-60 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature -1 C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Friday: Snowfall 5-10 cm, 60-70 km/h south wind, treeline temperature -3 C. Freezing level 1100 m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche observations since explosive control work on Sunday produced wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5. Small loose wet avalanches were reported in the afternoon.

Snowpack Summary

15-20 cm of recent well-settled snow has been redistributed by wind to variable depths at upper elevations. The recent snow appears to be bonding well to a widespread hard melt-freeze crust found across the region. The crust is thickest at low elevations and on sun-exposed slopes. The crust may not exist on high alpine terrain on north aspects.

The remainder of the snowpack is well-bonded.

Below treeline, snowpack depths are below threshold for avalanches in many areas.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
  • Investigate the bond of the recent snow before committing to your line.
  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.

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.