Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible - Likely
- Size
- 1–2
New snow and wind are forming fresh slabs. They are most likely to be reactive in wind-loaded leeward terrain features.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapSouth Coast
Jan 4 – 5, 2025Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 2 years ago
Avalanche danger
Mon
Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
Wind slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase as a storm ramps up Saturday afternoon.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
Our field team reported small skier-triggered wind slabs in steep start zones in the Sky Pilot area on Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
New snow falls over soft, and possibly faceted surfaces. As wind picks up through the day Saturday, new and older snow will likely be redistributed at upper elevations.
A rain crust buried 30 to 50 cm deep appears to be bonding well. The mid and lower snowpack is well consolidated and bonded.
Snow depth varies from 130 to 250 cm at treeline, tapering quicly with elevation.
Weather Summary
Friday night
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. South ridgetop wind increasing 20 to 50 km/h. Treeline temperature -3 °C.
Sunday
20 to 40 cm of snow overnight then clearing. Northwest ridgetop wind easing 40 to 15 km/h. Treeline temperature -1 °C.
Monday
Sunny. 10 to 30 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for signs of slab formation throughout the day.
- Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the old surface.
- The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.