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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 15th, 2024–Feb 16th, 2024

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

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains.

Be especially careful near freshly wind loaded alpine zones.

The new wind slabs rest on a very firm crust that provides an excellent gliding surface.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche was reported or observed.

If you go into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

In areas sheltered from the wind, between 10 and 20 cm of very low density fell, depending on the sector. Sectors closer to the north coast were favored.

Below 500m altitude, this new snow rests on a refreezing crust that formed on Monday. The crust thickens and hardens as we lose altitude. In some places (Mines Madeleine and sun-facing slopes), the crust is present up to 1000m. It is very firm on the sunny alpine slopes, and ski crampons are essential.

The middle of the snowpack is well consolidated, resting on the December 30 combo of facetted grains and crust. Facetted grains and depth hoar are developing at the base of the snowpack.

Snowpack height is highly variable throughout the area, and wind effects are significant in the alpine and at the treeline. The average height is around 90 cm.

Weather Summary

Synopsis: No precipitation and rather cold, clear weather for the next few days.

Thursday evening and night: Clear. Wind northwest, 20-30 km/h. Low -17.

Friday: Becoming cloudy in the afternoon. Wind northwest, 15 to 25 km/h. High -15C.

Saturday: Sunny. Wind northwest, 10 to 20 km/h. High -11.

Sunday: Sunny. Wind west, 10 to 20 km/h. High -17.

For more details, check out the most recent alpine weather forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Use appropriate sluff management techniques.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
  • Even a small avalanche can be harmful if it pushes you into an obstacle or a terrain trap.

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.