Lawinenlagebericht

North Columbia

Dec 30, 2016Avalanche Canada
Auf der Karte ansehen
Archiviert · abgelaufen 10 years ago

Lawinengefahr

Fri
Sat
Hochgebirge
3 · Erheblich
Waldgrenze
3 · Erheblich
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
Vollständige Karte öffnen

Kernpunkte

With great snowfall comes great responsibility. Be on the lookout for signs of slab formation in the new snow on Friday and expect areas exposed to our recent strong winds to be especially touchy.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Unlikely - Possible
    Größe
    1–3
    A weak layer buried in mid-December has generated some reports of large avalanches. Spotty patches of surface hoar have made it difficult to pinpoint where this layer might react but thin snowpack areas in the eastern Selkirks are the most likely.

  • Loose Dry

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2
    Slab avalanches aren't the only danger out there. Expect loose dry avalanches to trigger easily and entrain lots of snow in gullies and other steep features that are sheltered from the wind.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–3
    Lots of new snow has piled up over the past week and avalanche danger will increase as it consolidates into a slab. Watch for signs like shooting cracks to alert you to slab formation and be especially wary in -and below- areas exposed to the wind.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Thursday night: Flurries delivering around 5cm of new snow with winds moderate to strong from the west.Friday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and up a to a trace of new snow. Winds light from the west. Alpine temperatures near -10.Saturday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Winds light to moderate from the northeast. Alpine temperatures around -15.Sunday: A mix of sun and cloud with no new snow. Winds light from the northeast. Alpine temperatures to -18.

Avalanche Summary

Natural avalanche observations continue to be reported - mostly from the Roger's Pass area - with numerous size 1-2.5 observations and four reports of size 3 avalanches in the past 24 hours. Storm slab, wind slab, and loose dry avalanches were all featured in today's reports and all are attributed to our recent storm snow layer. Avalanche debris has been noted for entraining lots of the loose new snow and running surprisingly far. Expect continued moderate to strong ridgetop winds along with new snow on Thursday to promote ongoing slab development. For the short term, watch also for loose dry avalanches to be triggered easily in steep sheltered terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Between 35 and 75 cm of new snow has fallen over the region since Monday. The highest accumulations have occurred in the Monashees. Low density snow has allowed for quick settlement of new snow in sheltered areas, where new snow has begun to take on soft slab character. Other areas exposed to moderate to strong winds have experienced wind slab development. 80-120cm below the surface you'll find the mid-December interface, which consists of wind affected snow, faceted (sugary) crystals, and/or surface hoar crystals. Recent tests suggest the the new snow is well bonded to the interface in most areas. However, this layer is still reactive in some snowpack tests and should be investigated before pushing into steeper terrain. Limited observations suggest this layer has been especially touchy on the eastern side of the Selkirks. The thick mid-November crust layer typically sits 1-2 m down in the snowpack. This layer is considered dormant at this time but remains an isolated concern that we will likely be tracking through much of the season.

Abgedeckte Regionen