Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Coastal
Uncertainty exists with forecast amounts of snow: Adjust your terrain use to match the storm snow totals in your area.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- Storm snow will form touchy slabs.
- Use caution on open slopes and convex rolls
Avalanche Summary
In the south of the region, recent avalanche activity has been reported as thin storm slab avalanches to size 1 along with isolated wind slab avalanches on east aspects in the alpine and at tree line.
Snowpack Summary
In the south of the region, recent warming, some rain/freezing rain and daily snowfall of 5 -10 cm has begun to build a thin storm slab. Above tree line the new snow has been redistributed by primarily south - west winds. There are some lingering wind slabs, found on a variety of old surfaces including a thick melt-freeze crust that formed in mid-December.
In the north of the region there has been 20-40cm of storm snow since New Year's eve, with moderate to strong southerly winds. Warming temperatures and forecast snow are expected to form touchy storm slabs at all elevations. Danger ratings in the north of the region are likely one step higher than listed on the main page.
Beneath the mid-December crust the snowpack is reported to be generally strong with the possible exception of areas around Stewart and northern parts of the region where the late-October, basal crust can be found near the base of the snowpack. Weak sugary faceted snow may exist around this deeply buried crust and could be triggered from shallow snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
We'll see a return to a more seasonal active weather pattern, with modest amounts of snow by Monday afternoon.
SUNDAY: Snow. 10-15 cm accumulation / Moderate south wind / Alpine temperature -3 / Freezing level 600m
MONDAY: Snow. 10-15 cm accumulation / Moderate south west wind / Alpine temperature -2
TUESDAY: Isolated flurries / Moderate north west wind / Alpine temperature -4
Avalanche Forecasts in your Inbox
Avalanche Canada has switched to an RSS feed for its daily forecasts. This is a much more flexible method that allows automatic delivery to your email inbox, or to an RSS reader of your choice.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular standardized file format allowing up-to-date delivery of web-based content. RSS feeds enable you to receive content updates from websites, delivered to your email through an RSS aggregator (such as blogtrottr.com) or viewed through applications called RSS readers (such as feedly.com).
Set up an RSS feed for your email:
Select a RSS aggregator
- Northwest Coastal URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/northwest-coastal.rss - Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
- Fill in your email address.
- Voila! Watch the Avalanche Canada forecast roll into your inbox.
Forecast Disclaimer
Avalanche Canada's Public Avalanche Bulletin, and other information and services provided by Avalanche Canada, are intended for personal and recreational purposes only.
**THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DISCOMFORT, INJURY, OR DEATH, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS, OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION.**
The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and uses the data in this bulletin with this always foremost in mind. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the Providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.
Storm slabs will be building with successive weather systems - dial back your terrain choices as storm snow totals increase.