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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 2nd, 2023–Apr 3rd, 2023

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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast, Garibaldi, Powell River, Tantalus, North Shore, Sasquatch, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron.

Spring is a dynamic time of year where conditions can vary widely and change rapidly. Localized convective snowfall can appear out of nowhere and even short periods of strong sun can rapidly destabilize the upper snowpack.

Carefully assess your local conditions and pay attention to how the weather is affecting the snowpack throughout the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday and Sunday, small (size 1) skier triggered loose dry sluffs and storm slabs were reported on the north shore. Explosive work on Saturday produced storm slabs up to size 1.5 with good propagation.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

30 to 60 cm of recent snow (above 500 m) appears to be bonding well to a melt-freeze crust. The middle and lower snowpack are strong and well bonded.

Weather Summary

Sunday night

Clear. Light northerly wind. Alpine high -1 °C. Freezing level 500 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -2 °C. Ridge wind light from the northwest. Freezing level rises to 900 m.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny. Light northeast wind. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -1 °C. Freezing level rises to 1000 m.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. Light to moderate westerly wind. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Give the new snow time to settle and stabilize before pushing into bigger terrain.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
  • Avoid exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes, especially when the solar radiation is strong.

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.

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.