Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Jan 12 – 13, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–5
    Expect widespread windslabs on lee features at treeline and in the alpine in the wake of thursday night`s snowfall

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–4
    Thursday's snowfall will add to a layer of recent storm snow that may take a couple of days to bond to the old surface.

Confidence

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Friday

Weather Forecast

Thursday night/ Friday: 15cm of snow / Moderate to strong southwest winds / -12.0 at 1500mSaturday: Light snowfall / Moderate northerly wind / -12.0 @ 1500mSunday: Clear skies / Light northerly winds / -18.0 @ 1500m

Avalanche Summary

Several size 1's reported on wednesday in the top 10cm in wind affected areas. Expect significant wind slab activity with forecast snow and wind on thursday night.

Snowpack Summary

Some areas (Terrace, Kaziks) are reporting an alpine snowpack of 5 metres. In these areas the mid-december surface hoar-facet layer is buried down about 250 cm and has not been reactive for quite some time. At this time the biggest issue in the region seems to be new snow instabilities. Although they can be quicker to heal than other weaknesses, they may be highly destructive, especially with this season's pattern of heavy accumulations of snow combined with strong winds.Areas that experienced very strong winds during the recent storm may have thick windslabs that may take another couple of days to settle. Be cautious of large, recently developed cornices. They may be destructive by themselves, or they can become a trigger for an avalanche on the slope below.The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled and strong.Expect significant new wind slab development with forecast wind and snow.

Regions covered