Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2024–Mar 31st, 2024

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 possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Avoid exposure to sunny slopes, especially as temperatures spike in the afternoon.

The search for dry snow may draw you to high, north-facing slopes - watch for reactivity near ridgelines.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Natural and rider triggered slabs were reported in alpine and treeline features primarily near ridges (see photos below), and wet avalanches were observed on sun affected slopes and low elevations.

We expect activity to increase on these specific features, as higher temperatures and strong sun weaken the snowpack. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered are likely. Check out the full definition of considerable danger here.

Snowpack Summary

Around 30 cm of dry snow can likely still be found on high north facing slopes with deeper deposits near ridgelines.

All other aspects and elevations are expected to become moist or wet with rising temperatures and strong sunshine. A widespread crust exists in all terrain below 2000 m, buried below the recent storm snow (30 cm deep) which is an ideal bed surface for avalanche activity.

The facet/crust layer that produced large avalanches during early March is buried 150-250 cm deep, and is now considered unreactive.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Mostly clear skies. 20-40 km/h northerly ridgetop wind. Freezing levels remain around 1200 m overnight.

Sunday

Mostly sunny. Northwest ridgetop winds ease over the day from around 50 km/h to 30 km/h. Freezing levels rise rapidly to 3000 m, raising treeline temperatures to +10 °C.

Monday

Freezing levels remain around 2500 m overnight and throughout Monday. 40-60 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +10 °C.

Tuesday

Freezing levels remain around 2500 m overnight and drop to 1700 m by afernoon. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +7 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Avoid sun exposed slopes, especially if snow surface is moist or wet.
A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.

Problems

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.

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.