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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 4th, 2026–Jan 5th, 2026

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

Regions

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

A break in the weather will allow assessment of the new snow at upper elevations.

If you’re out in the backcountry, please share your observations on the MIN.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.
  • Recent weather patterns have resulted in a high degree of snowpack variability within the region.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported in the past week, but field observations remain limited.

Lots of snow pinwheels were observed on steep treeline features on Saturday due to rain and warm temperatures near Mount Washington and Mount Arrowsmith.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 20 cm of wet snow is found at treeline and above. This overlies a well-settled snowpack made up of moist snow and crusts. At lower elevations, the rain has soaked the entire snowpack.

The snowpack depth at treeline is around 100 to 120 cm.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Monday

A mix of sun and clouds. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Tuesday

Cloudy. 25 to 40 cm of snow at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 8000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.
  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.

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.