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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 22nd, 2025–Feb 23rd, 2025

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

Regions

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

Measure your exposure to avalanche terrain carefully as you check out the storm's aftermath. Take a big step back if you find signs of instability like shooting cracks or recent avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Several small natural and human caused avalanches have been reported since the parade of storms began. These include wind slabs and storm slabs to size 2. Some of these have stepped down to layers 40 to 60 cm deep (and counting) in the snowpack.

At lower elevations, small wet snow avalanches have been reported. This potential should diminish with cooling on Sunday.

Snowpack Summary

An uncertain 5 - 15 cm (or more?) of new snow should accumulate overnight Saturday, bringing storm totals to roughly 40 - 60 cm, all of it heavily wind affected. This overlies problematic faceted snow, or surface hoar in sheltered terrain. In exposed terrain, it more likely overlies a sun crust (an excellent bed surface for avalanches) or previously wind-affected snow.

A weak layer that was buried at the end of January is now 50 to 90 cm deep in the snowpack. This may present as a crust on sunny slopes, sugary facets in most places, and surface hoar in sheltered spots. Saturday's storm load will test this layer and human triggering will continue to be a serious concern for Sunday.

The snowpack below is strong.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Cloudy with wet flurries bringing 5 - 15 cm of new snow, greatest in the alpine. 20 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind, easing. Freezing level 1500 m - 1800 m.

Sunday

Partly cloudy with flurries beginning late afternoon. 10 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1500 m.

Monday

Partly cloudy with scattered flurries easing after 10 to 20 cm overnight accumulation, greatest in the alpine. 20 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1300 m - 1500 m.

Tuesday

Cloudy with scattered flurries bringing 5 - 10 cm of new snow, including overnight amounts. 20 - 60 km/h. Freezing level 1200 m - 1400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeply buried weak layers and result in very large avalanches.
  • Even brief periods of direct sun could produce natural avalanches.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.