Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 7th, 2023–Feb 8th, 2023

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

South Coast, North Shore, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron.

Expect reactive wind slabs and be cautious of loose wet avalanches at lower elevations.

Watch for instability as you transition in exposed terrain as you seek out the best snow above the rain-snow line.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity reported in the last 36 hours.

A large storm slab avalanche was reported on the 5th in the Tetrahedron. We anticipate more of these types of avalanches are likely to occur due to this last storm.

There is potential for deep storm slabs and wind slabs to slide on a buried crust, producing large and destructive avalanches.

Please continue to post your reports and photos to the Mountain Information Network, the information is very helpful to forecasters.

Snowpack Summary

Moderate southerly winds will have redistributed 40 to 50 cm of recent storm snow creating wind slabs in the immediate lee of features. A hard crust can now be found in sheltered, approximately 60 to 80 cm deep. Snowpack tests have shown a poor bond between the crust and overlying snow. The middle and lower snowpack is strong and bonded.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Cloudy, snow ending in the day with trace accumulation overnight, wind southwest 35 to 40 km/h, treeline temperatures -5 C.

Wednesday

Mainly sunny, no accumulation, wind southwest 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperatures -5 C.

Thursday

Cloudy, 30 to 15 cm accumulation at higher elevations over the 24-hour period rain below 1400 m, wind southerly 50 km/h gusting to 75, treeline temperatures at 1 C.

Friday

Cloudy, up to 20 cm accumulation at a higher elevation with rain below 700 m, wind southerly 35 km/h, treeline temperatures -4 C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Good day to make conservative terrain choices.
Keep in mind the crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.
As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
Choose low-angled, sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.