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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 30th, 2025–Mar 31st, 2025

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, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Sea To Sky, South Coast Inland, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Tantalus, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Avalanche problems and snow conditions vary with aspect and elevation.

Be prepared to shift plans based on observed conditions.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A widespread avalanche cycle occurred throughout the region, to size 4 during the recent warm-up. Numerous storm slabs or wet avalanches stepped down to deeper persistent weak layers.

Natural avalanche activity has since tapered off, but human-triggered avalanches on these layers remain possible.

Avalanche activity this weekend was limited to the storm snow above the crust, with human triggers producing size 1-1.5 avalanches.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 20 cm of settling snow sits over a crust capping a wet upper snowpack. In exposed areas, deeper deposits likely exist on northerly aspects.

Several persistent weak layers from January, February and March can be found between 1 and 3 m deep in the Sea to Sky, and up to 2 m deep in the Duffy. These layers were very reactive during the warm spell last week. Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Increasing cloud. 30 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature around -4 °C. Freezing levels drop to 1000 m.

Monday

A mix of sun and cloud with 2 to 5 cm of snow or light rain. 10 to 25 km/h variable ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny. 30 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy. 10 km/h variable ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • Cornice failures could trigger large and destructive avalanches.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.

Problems

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.

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.

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.