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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 26th, 2024–Feb 27th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
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

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Powell River, Spearhead, Tantalus, Sky Pilot.

UPDATED 8:10

We have received reports of concerning remotely triggered avalanches propagating widely and into lower angle terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, explosives control in the area produced several wind slab avalanches, up to size 1.5, in lee alpine features.

On a Saturday, a size 2, skier accidental wind slab avalanche was reported on a southeast-facing alpine slope on the Spearhead Traverse. The group was boot-packing up the slope when they triggered the 20 cm deep slab

Snowpack Summary

5 to 15 cm of storm snow and previous extreme southerly winds have built stubborn wind slabs in exposed lee features at higher elevations. Recent snow overlies a variety of surfaces, including a crust on south facing slopes and low elevations, and faceted snow and/or small surface hoar in sheltered terrain.

20 to 60 cm down is a layer of facets and areas of isolated surface hoar above a thick crust. This layer has produced concerning results in recent snowpack tests and is most concerning at treeline and above.

Weather Summary

Monday Night

Mainly clear skies. 25 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.

Tuesday

Increasing clouds. 25 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 20 to 40 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1300 m throughout the day.

Thursday

Mainly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 10 to 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -3 °C. Freezing level hovers around 800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Potential for wide propagation exists, fresh slabs may rest on surface hoar, facets and/or crust.

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.

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.