Avalanche Forecast

THURSDAY NIGHT: 10-25 cm of snow above 1600 m (rain below), 50 km/h wind from the southwest, alpine temperatures around -3 C.

FRIDAY: 10-20 cm of snow above 1800 m (rain below), 50 km/h wind from the southwest, alpine high temperatures around -1 C.

SATURDAY: 20-30 cm of snow above 1400 m (rain below), 30 km/h wind from the southwest, alpine high temperatures around -3 C.

SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light wind from the north, alpine high temperatures around -3 C.

Heavy snowfall on Thursday night could result in a natural cycle of avalanches overnight and leave storm slabs primed for human triggering on Friday. Prior to the storm there were reports of a few small (size 1) slab avalanches triggered by skiers and explosives on Wednesday. They were 20-30 cm thick and ran on a hard crust. This crust could provide a bed surface for large avalanches to run on during the storm.

A return to stormy weather is bringing much needed snow to the Sea to Sky region. 20-40 cm of new snow is possible by midday Friday, with another storm pulse coming Friday night. Not to far beneath this new snow is a hard crust that formed in late November. Recent snowpack tests have shown the snow above this crust is weak and could provide a bed surface for avalanches to run on. Typical snowpack depths in the alpine currently range between 50 and 150 cm, depending on the amount of wind affect. Snowpack depths taper quickly with elevation as most treeline terrain is still below the threshold for avalanches.