Avalanche Forecast

No new avalanches have been reported.

On Sunday, west of Port Alberni, a small, human-triggered avalanche was reported. It started as a cornice failure, which pulled out a small slab on the slope below. See the MIN post here for more details.

The likelihood of triggering an avalanche is expected to increase with the incoming stormy weather.

If you are getting out in the backcountry, consider making a post on the MIN (Mountain Information Network).

10 to 30 cm of new snow is expected to fall by the end of the day Thursday. Recent snowfall amounts above treeline have varied across the forecast area. You can expect the deepest new snow to be on the western parts of the island, and the shallowest to the east.

With fluctuating freezing levels, rain around treeline has likely made the snow shallower, denser, and wetter. At high elevations, recent soft snow covers a hard, frozen crust.

Below the crust, the rest of the snowpack is generally settled and well-bonded.

Below treeline, the snow is moist or wet, and slopes are largely below the threshold for avalanches.

Wednesday Night

Cloudy. 1 to 6 cm of snow possible. 35 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline low around -2 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy. 10 to 25 cm of snow / moderate to heavy rain below 1100 m. 50 to 65 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high around 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 1200 m.

Friday

Mostly sunny. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline high around 1 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Saturday

Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high around 4 °C. Freezing level rising to 2200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
• If you are increasing your exposure to avalanche terrain, do it gradually as you gather information.
• When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.