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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 2nd, 2023–Dec 3rd, 2023

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

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Coquihalla, Harrison-Fraser, Manning, Skagit.

Select terrain wisely: Slopes with deeper snow offer smoother travel and better riding, but increased avalanche risk.

Patience and thoughtfulness will help you start your season safely.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

It is likely that a small natural avalanche cycle occurred during the heaviest part of Friday night's storm. On Sunday, natural avalanche activity should taper off, but human triggered avalanches are still possible on slopes that are above threshold.

On Friday, a few small (size 1) rider triggered storm slab avalanches were reported in the immediate lee of ridgetops.

Please consider filling out a MIN report if you are out in the backcountry.

Snowpack Summary

20-40 cm of new snow will overlie a variety of surfaces including; a crust on steep south facing slopes in the alpine, a crust with surface hoar above it at treeline and a crust where snow exists below treeline. Watch for treeline slopes to become more reactive as the recent storm snow settles into a more cohesive slab.

In the mid pack, 10 to 20 cm of faceted snow overlies a crust from mid November.

Above about 1600 m, snowpack height ranges from 70 to 140 cm, increasing with elevation.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Cloudy. 0-5 cm of snow expected. Moderate Southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5°C.

Sunday

Cloudy. 10-20 cm of new snow expected, with the larger amounts expected in the north end of the forecast area. Strong to extreme southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level 1250-1500 m, possibly as high as 2000 in the south end of the forecast area.

Monday

Cloudy. Mixed precipitation. 5-10 cm of snow or light rain (10-20mm) expected. Moderate rain in the Brohm Ridge area. Staying fairly dry in the Manning Park area. Strong to extreme southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1500m, as high as 2750 m south of Pemberton.

Tuesday

Cloudy. Mixed precipitation. Moderate to heavy rain (45-65 mm) below the freezing line, which will be between 2500 and 3000 m during the heaviest precipitation, falling back to 1750 by the end of the day. Extreme southwest wind in the morning, tapering to Strong by the end of the day.

 

 

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful to keep storm day fever from luring you out into bigger terrain features.
  • Avoid terrain traps where the consequence of any avalanche could be serious.
  • Carefully monitor the bond between the new snow and old surface.

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.