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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 27th, 2024–Feb 28th, 2024

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

Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist at all elevations. Avoid all avalanche terrain.

Widespread natural avalanche activity is expected with heavy snowfall and strong winds.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, numerous skier remotely triggered persistent slab avalanches were reported up to size 2 in the region. These avalanches occurred mainly on north and easterly aspects between 1600 and 2000 m. A few remotely triggered windslab avalanches were also reported up to size 1 on north and south aspects at 1600 m.

Operators in the region also reported evidence of numerous natural, size 3, persistent slab avalanches that likely released during the previous storm.

Snowpack Summary

Storm snow accumulates over wind-affected surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed areas at all elevations.

Multiple weak layers exist in the upper and mid snowpack. The most concerning weak layer is found down 30 to 100 cm and is composed of a layer of facets or in isolated areas preserved surface hoar above a thick crust. This layer is the culprit of recent remotely-triggered avalanches in low-angle terrain. Professionals are concerned about how this layer will react to the new snow load.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 25 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 20 to 40 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -6 °C. Freezing level rises to 1200 m throughout the day.

Thursday

Mainly cloudy with 1 to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -8 °C. Freezing level hovers around 800 m.

Friday

Mainly cloudy with 2 to 8 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -8 °C. Freezing level hovers around 800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.

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.

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.