Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Powell River, Sea To Sky, Sky Pilot, Spearhead, Tantalus.
Dangerous avalanche conditions exist where new snow and wind continue to add load above buried weak layers.
Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Sunday, operators reported that ski cutting produced numerous size 1 wind slab avalanches in lee, alpine and treeline terrain features.
On a Saturday, a size 2, skier accidental wind slab avalanche was reported on a southeast-facing alpine slope on the Spearhead Traverse. The group was boot-packing up the slope when they triggered the 20 cm deep slab
Snowpack Summary
5 to 15 cm of storm snow and extreme southerly winds have built fresh wind slabs in exposed lee features at all elevations. Recent snow overlies a variety of weak surfaces, including a crust on south facing slopes and low elevations, and faceted snow and/or small surface hoar in sheltered terrain.
20 to 60 cm down is a layer of facets and areas of isolated surface hoar above a thick crust. This layer has produced concerning results in recent snowpack tests and is most concerning at treeline and above.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Mainly cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C. Freezing levels drop to valley bottom.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 25 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.
Tuesday
Increasing clouds. 30 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C. Freezing levels remain at valley bottom.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 15 to 30 cm of snow. 50 to 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to -3 °C. Freezing level rises to 1300 m throughout the day.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
- The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.
- Fresh snow rests on a problematic persistent slab, don't let good riding lure you into complacency.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent snow and southwest winds have built reactive wind slabs over a weak layer of surface hoar or a crust. Investigate how the new snow is bonding to the underlying surfaces before committing to your line.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
Weak layers will take time to adjust to the new load. If triggered wind slab avalanches may step down to this layer to create a larger, more destructive avalanche.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2.5