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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 27th, 2024–Nov 28th, 2024

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

Regions

Sea To Sky, South Coast Inland, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Birkenhead, Duffey, Harrison-Fraser, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Seek out sheltered powder for better quality, safer skiing and riding. Have a plan to manage small wind slabs and sluff if you're tackling something steeper.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

There were no reports of avalanches on Monday or Tuesday, consistent with a steady decline in avalanche activity since the weekend storm.

Snowpack Summary

Large surface hoar is growing on the snow surface, particularly in sheltered areas. Thin melt-freeze crusts may be found on sun-exposed slopes.

These surfaces top 20 - 30 cm of settled recent snow that remains soft in sheltered areas but is heavily wind-affected in alpine and exposed treeline terrain. Cold temperatures are faceting this upper layer, causing snow grains to lose cohesion.

The most recognizable of several melt-freeze crusts in the lower snowpack is 100 - 150 cm deep in the Whistler area, decomposing, and not considered a problematic avalanche layer.

Snowpack height is around 120 to 150 cm at treeline and decreases rapidly below about 1500 m.

Weather Summary

Wednesday night

Mainly cloudy. 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 700 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with isolated flurries. 20-30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Friday

Cloudy with scattered flurries bringing les than 5 cm of new snow, mainly in the south of the region and continuing overnight. 35 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing new snow totals to 5 - 10 cm, mainly in the south of the region. 15 - 15 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been affected by wind.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.

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.