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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 1st, 2024–Feb 2nd, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Tantalus, Sky Pilot.

It didn't take long for us to jump back into winter conditions with reactive new avalanche problems, especially in the alpine. Let your caution increase in line with your elevation.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

An avalanche cycle took place in the region over the weekend and through Monday, with many wet slab and wet loose avalanches to size 4 (very large) seen in a wide range of terrain. A report from Tuesday featured a size 4 with a crown over 3 km long! Wednesday was much quieter.

Thursday's switch to snowfall is expected to have brought surface instabilities back online. Increasingly deep and reactive new storm slabs and wind slabs should be expected at higher elevations.

Snowpack Summary

Continuing light flurries should bring 10-30 cm of new snow to the region overnight and through Friday, adding to 20-40 cm expected in the alpine by end of day Thursday. These amounts will taper off quickly at lower elevations. With rain giving way to snowfall, the new snow should accumulate on a newly formed crust but possibly on rain-soaked snow at lower elevations.

Below any new crust at treeline, and especially below treeline, the snowpack is largely isothermal.

The mid and lower snowpack consists of various old crusts and is generally well-settled and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

Thursday night

Cloudy with another round of flurries bringing 5-15 cm of new snow above 1500 m, continuing into the day. Southeast alpine winds 30 to 40 km/h.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with flurries continuing from overnight bringing 5-15 cm of new snow. South alpine winds 10 to 30 km/h. Treeline temperature -2°C with freezing level around 1300 m.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine winds vatriable, shifting northerly, 5-10 km/h. Treeline temperature -1°C with freezing level around 1400 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm snow and wind is forming touchy slabs. Use caution in lee areas in the alpine and treeline.
  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.