Following the strong winds of the last few days, we are seeing extremely variable conditions in the mountains.These could be radically different from one place to another. That's why it's important to analyze conditions carefully before heading into avalanche terrain. Be particularly cautious when approaching slopes freshly loaded by the wind.
Light snow will continue to be moved to leeward slopes. Gullies, couloirs, depressions and alpine cross-loading zones may have been heavily loaded by this new snow, and you may find new trigger-sensitive wind slabs. In general, strong winds have tended to empty the treeline, but some couloirs with alpine characteristics could also be affected at this altitude band.
No new avalanche was reported or observed. If you go into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
The strong, sometimes extreme wind of the last few days, which changed direction occasionally, created strong spatial variability in the alpine and at the treeline. The very light new snow was easily blown around to create areas of heavy accumulation, occasionally next to rocks that are still exposed. The height of the snowpack varies between 20 cm and 180 cm, with an average height of around 100 cm at mid-mountain.
This new load is generally found on the southern and eastern slopes. But it's important to remember that these slopes were previously cleared of snow. To the north and west, we find old snow exposed to the wind at the bottom of couloirs, or crust and rock.
The best snow lies below the tree line, sheltered from the wind, but obstacles are always close by.
Synopsis: Some light precipitation still possible on Saturday, especially on the Haute-Gaspésie coast, with sunshine returning Sunday afternoon.
Friday evening and night : Cloudy. Light snow, 1-2 cm. Wind northwest, 20-30 km/h. Low -13.
Saturday: Cloudy. Light snow, 1-2 cm. Wind north, 20 to 30 km/h. High -9.
Sunday: Clear. Moderate northwest wind. High -15.
Monday: Alternating sun and clouds. Moderate to strong west wind. High -8.
For more details, check out the most recent alpine weather forecast.
