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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 4th, 2024–Jan 5th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast, Powell River, North Shore, Tetrahedron.

With a forecast of fresh snow falling with strong winds, expect to find an increasingly reactive snowpack and avalanche hazard highest at the end of the day.

Confidence

High

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Cloudy. Up to 10 cm of snow by Friday morning above 1000 m. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -3 °C.

Friday

Snowing. 20-40 cm of snow accumulating in the mountains by 4 pm. Strong southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy. Up to 80 mm of precipitation in 48 hrs (falling as snow and ending early morning). Moderate west ridgetop wind. Treeline low around -6 °C.

Sunday

Mix of sun and clouds. no precipitation. Light west ridgetop wind. Treeline low around -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Be aware of the potential for loose avalanches in steep terrain where snow hasn't formed a slab.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.