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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 26th, 2024–Mar 27th, 2024

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.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

Watch for fresh storm slabs building, their size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase throughout the day.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported, although several avalanches occurred last week during the warm sunny weather.

The incoming storm is expected to elevate the avalanche danger, increasing the likelihood of human-triggered avalanches.

If you visit the backcountry, please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

10 to 25 cm of new snow is expected to accumulate at upper elevations by the end of the day Wednesday. This new snow may be poorly bonded to an underlying crust.

Strong to extreme southwesterly winds are expected to build thicker and more reactive slabs on lee north and east-facing slopes near ridgetops.

Wet surface snow or an isothermal snowpack may be found below the rain/snow line which is expected between 1000 and 1300m throughout the day.

The mid and lower snowpack is generally settled and strong, with no concerns at this time.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of new snow possible. 50 to 60 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature drops to around -1 °C. Freezing level drops to around 1000 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10 to 25 cm of new snow/moderate to heavy rain. Up to 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0 °C. Freezing level rising to around 1300 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 2 to 10 cm of new snow possible. 30 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 1200 m.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 3 cm of new snow/light rain. 10 to 20 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 1 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
  • Watch for changing conditions today, storm slabs may become increasingly reactive.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.