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

Apr 5th, 2025–Apr 6th, 2025

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

Northwest Coastal, Northwest Inland, Boundary, Stewart, Kispiox, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw.

Failing cornices have produced large avalanches recently.

Reduce your exposure to overhead hazard during periods of warm temperatures, strong winds, heavy snow or rain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, a failing cornice triggered a size 3 avalanche on an eastern slope in the alpine. This avalanche is believed to have occurred on the March 5th surface hoar layer.

Where a thick, supportive surface crust is found, we expect that triggering avalanches on buried weak layers is unlikely.

Snowpack Summary

Variable wind affected snow covers open terrain at upper elevations. A crust is found up to 1800 m and higher on solar slopes. Recent surface hoar up to 10 mm has formed on treeline and alpine features sheltered from the sun and wind.

Three layers of concern currently exist in the upper-mid snowpack. Surface hoar and a crust that formed in mid-March can be found 30 to 70 cm below the snow surface. Below this, another layer of surface hoar that formed in early March can be found at a depth of 60 to 100 cm. Additionally, a layer of facets, surface hoar, and/or a crust from mid-February is buried 120 to 200 cm deep.

The remainder of the snowpack is well consolidated, and there are no current concerns.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Cloudy with 5 mm/cm of rain/snow. 20 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Sunday

Cloudy with 1 to 3 mm/cm of rain/snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries. 30 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature + 3°C. Freezing level 1600 m.

Tuesday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of wet snow. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature + 2°C. Freezing level 1600 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
  • Be aware of the potential for large, destructive avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.

Problems

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.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.

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.