Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 7th, 2026–Feb 8th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

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

Alpine conditions remain uncertain in the wake of the storm. Take an assessment mindset if you are probing into higher elevations and raise your guard if you encounter wind-loaded new snow.

Confidence

Moderate

We are uncertain about alpine conditions due to limited field observations.

Avalanche Summary

We don't have reports from Saturday's storm yet, but it's likely a small natural avalanche cycle took place at higher elevations where new snow accumulated, was blown around by extreme winds, and impacted by rain. Limited wind slab hazard may still exist in the high alpine.

Otherwise, no new or even recent avalanches were reported on the Island during the extended snowfall drought.

Snowpack Summary

A crust should form on the surface at treeline and below Saturday night but break down with solar warming on Sunday. In the alpine, 10 to 20 cm of dry snow may have accumulated in the storm. Accumulations will taper sharply with elevation. Heavy rain fell mostly on vegetation below treeline.

Where snow accumulated, it buried a widespread crust over a thoroughly settled snowpack. It's still about a metre deep in the alpine, but becomes patchy and disconnected at treeline. There is very little snow below treeline.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.

Sunday
A mix of sun and clouds with isolated wet flurries. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Monday
Mostly cloudy with wet flurries bringing 5 to 15 cm of new snow above treeline. 20 - 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Tuesday
Becoming partly cloudy with flurries easing after bringing 5 to 10 cm of new snow. 5 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Wind slabs are isolated, but may remain reactive.
Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
Rocks will heat up with daytime warming and may become trigger points for loose wet avalanches.

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.