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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 19th, 2025–Feb 20th, 2025

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

Regions

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron.

As precipitation piles up, danger increases with it. With storms this dramatic, it is a great time to avoid avalanche terrain until things calm down.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Numerous size 1 skier triggered storm and wind slab avalanches were reported over the weekend, including in the Powell River area.

These avalanches were typically at treeline or above on north and east aspects. Reports indicate that the recent storm snow is not bonding well to the underlying weak layers as these avalanches were easy to trigger.

Snowpack Summary

New snow falls on 15 to 25 cm of snow from the weekend, which fell with southerly wind, forming deeper slabs on northerly aspects. In sheltered terrain this new snow may overlie soft, faceted snow or surface hoar. In exposed terrain it will overlie a sun crust or wind-affected snow.

At lower elevations a new crust likely exists below the storm snow.

A late-January weak layer (hard crust, facets, or surface hoar) is buried 80 to 120 cm deep, this layer could become reactive the more the precipitation adds load on it.

The lower snowpack is strong and bonded.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Cloudy with 20 to 50 mm of mixed precipitation. 25 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1300 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 mm of mixed precipitation. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1200 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 20 to 50 mm of mixed precipitation. 40 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1500 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 50 to 100 mm of mixed precipitation. 40 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 2000 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 old surface.
  • Approach steep and open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, as buried surface hoar may exist.
  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
  • A moist or wet snow surface, pinwheeling, and natural avalanches are all indicators of a weakening snowpack.

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.

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.

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.