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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 27th, 2023–Dec 28th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Northwest Inland, Seven Sisters, Howson, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, North Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Due to recent strong winds the best riding can be found in sheltered areas at treeline and below. Watch for signs of instability such as whumpfing, cracking, or recent avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, a small (size 1) skier-triggered wind slab avalanche was reported in northeast-facing, treeline terrain near Hudson Bay Mountain. Whumpfing has also been experienced by backcountry users in the Babines and by Hudson Bay Mountain recently.

Snowpack Summary

Around 15 cm of recent snowfall has been blown around forming new wind slabs on mostly northwest through east-facing slopes at ridgetops. Southerly faces in the alpine are scoured down to the ground or an early-season crust. Two or more different surface hoar layers can be found in the upper snowpack in most areas (expected to be up to 80 cm deep) and appear to be most prominent at treeline and below.Snowpack depths at treeline are variable across the region with generally deeper amounts (~150cm) in the western part and shallower (~80cm) in the eastern part.Generally, avalanches are not a concern yet below 1100 m elevation as there is not enough snow below.

Weather Summary

Thurs Night

Cloudy. 2 cm of snow expected. Light easterly wind. Freezing level at valley bottom with treeline temperatures around -8 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with a trace of new snow expected. Winds light to moderate easterly, switching to southest in the PM. Freezing level rising between 800 - 1200 m. Treeline high around -2 °C.

Friday

Cloudy, 3 cm of snow expected. Moderate easterly wind. Freezing level between 800-1100 m. Treeline high around -1°C

Saturday

Cloudy, a trace to 2 cm of snow expected. Light winds from variable directions throughout the day. Freezing level between 800-1200 m. Treeline high of 0 °C

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Approach steep open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, buried surface hoar may exist.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.