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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 4th, 2023–Apr 5th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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 unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Tantalus.

Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.

Heightened avalanche conditions exist on specific terrain features.

Carefully assess your local conditions and consider how the weather affects the snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Small solar-triggered point releases were reported out of steep terrain Monday and Tuesday. A small (size 1) skier-triggered wind slab was also observed on convoluted alpine terrain. Over the past weekend, storm slabs and loose dry avalanches were reported (up to size 1-2) mostly artificially triggered by skiers and explosives.

Snowpack Summary

A moist or crusty surface has likely formed on southerly aspects and below 1000 m. 15 to 30 cm of recent snow has seen modest wind effect, with wind loading mostly isolated to immediate lees of ridgetop. Recent snow appears to be bonding well to underlying surfaces including melt-freeze crusts.

The middle of the snowpack is strong and bonded. At the bottom of the snowpack, a layer of weak facets remains present and continues to be monitored for signs of reactivity.

Weather Summary

A vigorous frontal band will arrive on Wednesday evening. Wet, warm & windy conditions are expected to ease on Friday before the following warm front impacts the region over the weekend.

Tuesday night

Mostly cloudy with clear periods. Light southwest wind. Alpine low -8 °C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries. Light southwest wind increasing to moderate. Alpine high -4 °C. Freezing level rises to 1300 m.

Thursday

Snow. Local amount 15-20 cm. Strong southwest wind gusting 60 km/h. Alpine high -2 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries up to 5 cm. Moderate southwest wind gusting 50 km/h. Alpine high -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
  • Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.

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.