Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 4th, 2023–Apr 5th, 2023

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

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, Sasquatch, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron.

Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.

Spring is a dynamic time of year where conditions can vary widely and change rapidly.

Carefully assess your local conditions and consider how the weather affects the snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Over the weekend, lots of loose dry sluffing was reported in MINs. A couple of small (size 1) skier-triggered storm slabs were also reported in immediate lees of ridge tops and convexities.

If you head out in the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with us on the Mountain Information Network!

Snowpack Summary

A moist or crusty surface has likely formed on southerly aspects and below 1000 m over the last few days. 30 to 50 cm of recent snow (above 500 m) appears to be bonding well to an underlying melt-freeze crust. The middle and lower snowpacks are strong and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

A vigorous frontal band will arrive on Wednesday evening. Wet, warm & windy conditions are expected to ease on Friday before the following warm front impacts the region over the weekend.

Tuesday night

Mostly clear. Light southwesterly wind. Alpine low -5° C. Freezing level around 800 m.

Wednesday

Cloudy with sunny periods. Light southwest wind increasing to moderate. Alpine high -3 °C. Freezing level around 900 m.

Thursday

Snow at higher elevations, rain at lower elevations. Local amount 30-40 mm. Moderate southwest wind gusting 50 km/h. Alpine high -1 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m. Heavy precipitations at night 30-40 mm.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries up to 5 cm. Moderate southwest wind. Alpine high -1 °C. Freezing level rises to 1100 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Remember that in the spring strong solar radiation and warm temperatures can weaken the snow in a matter of minutes.
Expect slab conditions to change drastically as you move into wind exposed terrain.
Seek out wind sheltered terrain below treeline where you can avoid wind slabs and find great riding.
Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.

Problems

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.

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.