Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Fresh pockets of wind slab may slide easily on the underlying crust.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapVancouver Island
Mar 4 – 5, 2025Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 2 years ago
Avalanche danger
Thu
Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
Avalanche danger will start out at LOW and may increase to MODERATE in areas where sufficient snow accumulates by end of the day Tuesday.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported. Looking forward, wind slab avalanches become increasingly likely as new snow arrives.
Snowpack Summary
5 to 15 cm of new snow accumulates over a widespread surface crust. Below, the upper snowpack is wet. Where still intact, a crust buried in January may be found 100 to 150 cm deep. Below this, the snowpack is well bonded and stable. At lower elevations, snow coverage is thin.
Weather Summary
Monday night
Cloudy. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level around 1100 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 10 to 30 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level around 1100 m.
Thursday
Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level around 1700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.