Regions
Vancouver Island.
No new avalanches reported.
Past Weather
This week has exhibited a major warming trend for the first time to Vancouver Island's mountain ranges. Clear, sunny weather and light winds will continue to deteriorate stability and overall snowpack volume.
Weather Forecast
Double digit air temperatures near mountain top will persist this weekend. Friday: No new precipitation, Winds light from the South will transition to Light Northerly winds late in afternoon, Freezing level rising during the daytime to 2,900 meters (which represents the traditional "summer time" freezing level) Temps at 1500 meters up to +11 degrees.Saturday: No new precipitation, Winds light from the South will transition to Light Northerly winds late in afternoon, Freezing level rising to 3,000 meters. Temps at 1500 meters up to + 12 degrees.Sunday: No new precipitation, Winds light from the North, Freezing levels dropping to 2700 meters (due to cooling from Northerly winds). Temps at 1500 meters +10 degrees.
Terrain Advice
Please respect the current closures at Mount Washington, no access is permitted at anytime on the ski areas slopes or terrain.During periods of intense warming and sunshine, avoid solar facing terrain.Avoid travelling both above and below cornices.Early Starts may help to ensure you can accomplish your trip objective prior to day time high's where snowpack will become highly unstable.Concern remains with fact that snowpack is not undergoing any freezing temperatures overnight and therefore continuing to destabilize layering within the Mountain ranges of Vancouver Island.Possibility of isothermal snow may make for extremely challenging and dangerous travel as snow may readily collapse under an individual's weight.
Snowpack Summary
Double digit air temperatures, coupled with strong sun and limited winds are reducing the overall mountain snowpack volume on Vancouver Island. The weather pattern will continue throughout the weekend further reducing snowpack volume as lower elevation band snowpack will become isothermal.
Snowpack Details
- Surface: Wet melting snow surface and isothermal snow at Below Treeline elevation band
- Upper: Wet snowpack possibly destabilized layers as a result of melt water percolating and exacerbating interface instabilities
- Mid: Wet snowpack possibly destabilized layers as a result of melt water percolating and exacerbating interface instabilities
- Lower: Well settled and dense.
Confidence
Moderate - Avalanche danger ratings reflect the highest danger level expected over the course of the day (mid-day during peak of day-time heating). Weather forecast models are very well aligned and provide support to the forecasted avalanche problems.
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.