Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 12th, 2026–Apr 13th, 2026

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

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.

Use caution on and below ridge crests where cornices are present.

Confidence

High

We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast.

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche activity through the week has been on a diminishing trend, with smaller wet loose releases in solar terrain accounting for most activity. A couple other notables from the week included:

-A very large cornice (size 3) knocked out with a hefty amount of explosives during control work in the Whistler area on Friday.

-A cornice-triggered slab avalanche, size 3, seen from a distance on Overlord Mountain on Wednesday. It happened on a northwest aspect at 2400 m.

Snowpack Summary

As freezing levels drop, a surface crust will begin to form, and a trace of new snow is expected. However, cloud cover and scattered light rain will continue to limit crust recovery below 1600 m, likely keeping the snowpack moist and near isothermal.

A late-March crust/facet layer sits 20 to 80 cm deep, with another thicker crust 80 to 100 cm down. Faceting has been noted around the deeper crust near Whistler. While neither layer is currently an avalanche concern, they may give large cornices on high north aspects a small chance of triggering a slab, such as the recent event on Overlord Mountain.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Cloudy. 1 to 3 mm of rain at treeline. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Monday

Cloudy. 1 to 2 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.

Tuesday

Cloudy. 20 to 40 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.

Wednesday

Mix of sun and clouds. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.

Problems

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.

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.