Avalanche Forecast
Sea To Sky
Surface snow conditions are extremely variable. Be alert for rapid changes under your skis or sled, and watch for fresh pockets of wind slab.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Extra caution needed around cornices with current conditions.
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Snow conditions may change drastically over short distances - be alert to changing surfaces.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
A weak layer of surface hoar or facetted crystals has become reactive especially where it may be sitting on a hard crust.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be aware of the potential for wide propagations.
- Avoid steep convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, explosives control work triggered only a few size 1 wind slab avalanches in isolated terrain up in the alpine.
On Friday a sled-triggered size 2 wind slab was reported near Grizzly Lake near Powder Mountain, on a north west aspect near 1750m. See the MIN post for more details.
On Thursday several natural avalanches to size 2.5 were reported in the Tantalus Range. See the MCR for more details.
On Wednesday there was a size 1 avalanche that sympathetically triggered a size 3 persistent slab avalanche resulting in a fatality. This was on a northeast aspect at 2000m, 50cm deep. Additionally there were reports of natural persistent slab avalanches size 2.5-3 on southeast through northeast aspects between 1800 and 2000m. These were reported to have happened in the previous 24-48 hours. See this MIN post for similar details.
Snowpack Summary
5-10 cm of new snow fell on Easter Sunday (with some locally higher amounts due to intense convective activity and gusty winds). Winds have been gusting strong, previously from the south and most recently the north.
The end result is that snow conditions are wildly variable, ranging from melt freeze crusts on sunny aspects to scoured old hard wind slabs to isolated pockets of soft wind slab. See this MIN post for a good summary of conditions beyond the musical bumps.
Old snow from a week ago rests on the March 21st interface, which has a very patchy distribution: moist grains at low elevations, crusts on solar aspects at all elevations and surface hoar/facets on north/east facing features at treeline and alpine elevations. Some west facing features may have surface hoar on top of a crust. The March 21st interface has been giving variably moderate to hard sudden planar results, typically down 50-60cm on 1-2mm facets.
The mid and lower snowpack are strong and well settled.
Weather Forecast
Unsettled weather until the next system arrives on Wednesday. Freezing levels will increase slowly & steadily.
TUESDAY: Cloudy with flurries Monday overnight and into the morning (3-6 cm possible) / Light to moderate south west wind / Alpine temperature -7 / Freezing level 1000m
WEDNESDAY: Snow (5-10 cm) / Moderate south west wind / Alpine temperature -4 / Freezing level 1300m
THURSDAY: Snow (15-25cm) / Light to moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -3 / Freezing level 1600m
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Recent strong north winds have formed wind slabs on southerly features near ridge crests. These could be most reactive where they may be sitting on firm, scoured snow or hard melt-freeze crusts.