Avalanche Forecast
Sea To Sky
Storm slabs have formed with recent snowfall. Expect them on all aspects with thicker slabs in lee features, loose dry snow in sheltered areas, and looming cornices on ridgelines. Treat the hazard higher if you see more snow than forecasted.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Watch for signs of instability, such as avalanche activity, whumpfs, and shooting cracks.
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where small avalanches may have severe consequences.
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
Avalanche Summary
Small loose and slab avalanches were observed at treeline and alpine elevations on Saturday, triggered by skiers, explosives, and naturally.
Expect natural and human-triggered avalanche activity to increase with the recent snowfall and strong winds.
Snowpack Summary
Around 10 to 20 cm of storm snow fell on Friday and another 25 cm of snow could fall in parts of the region Saturday night, and light flurries are expected Sunday morning. These storms have had strong south to westerly winds associated with them. Expect touchy storm slabs on all aspects with thicker slabs found in lee features. All of this snow fell on previously wind-affected surfaces as well as a sun crust on solar aspects. The new snow may not bond well to these surfaces and could be reactive to both natural and human triggers.
Also make note of cornices at ridgeline. Variable winds in the past month have produced cornices on all aspects. They will become touchier as they grow in size, as temperatures rise, and as the sun packs a strong punch on clear days. Stand well back of them and avoid them from below!
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 25 cm, strong westerly winds, alpine temperature -10 C, freezing level 500 m.
SUNDAY: Cloudy with intermittent snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light to moderate westerly winds, alpine temperature -13 C, freezing level near 500 m.
MONDAY: Partly cloudy, light westerly winds, alpine temperature -12 C, freezing level 700 m.
TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light to moderate westerly winds, alpine temperature -10 C, freezing level 800 m.
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
- Sea To Sky URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/sea-to-sky.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 have formed with new snow and strong winds. Expect deeper slabs in lee features and loose snow in sheltered areas. Stick to low-angled, sheltered terrain and give the snow time to stabilize.