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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 17th, 2018–Dec 18th, 2018

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

Regions

South Coast Inland.

Forecast precipitation amounts are uncertain Monday night and Tuesday. If new snow amounts are higher locally than indicated, then avalanche danger will be HIGH. Nonetheless a conservative approach to terrain selection is recommended.

Confidence

Low - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Snow, accumulation 10-25cm. Alpine temperature -1. Moderate to strong southwest wind.  Freezing level 1200m. TUESDAY: Snow, accumulation 5-10cm. Alpine temperature -2. Moderate to strong southwest wind. Freezing level 1400m. WEDNESDAY: Flurries, accumulation 5cm. Alpine temperature -2. Light west wind. Freezing level 1300m. THURSDAY: Rain in the south and snow in the north, accumulation 20-30cm. Alpine temperature 0. Strong southwest wind. Freezing level 2000m.

Avalanche Summary

Explosive control work along the Duffey Lake road last Friday produced avalanches up to size 2.5 running on the weak layer of facets buried 60 to 80 cm below the surface. A remotely triggered size 1.5 avalanche in the Coquihalla Summit backcountry suggests this same layer is a concern there. No new avalanche activity has been reported since then.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 1 m of new snow fell since the storm pattern started last Sunday. Strong southerly winds distributed new snow into variable wind slabs in exposed locations. A crust at or near the surface likely exists up to approximately 1700 m.Below the recent storm snow lies a weak layer, comprising 20-30 cm of low density faceted snow. Initially, the snow did not bond well to this layer. While it's likely gaining strength, field observations show that slab avalanches remain possible on this layer.Near the base of the snowpack, a crust exists that previously had sugary facets. This could potentially still be of concern in high north facing areas in drier parts of the region. Elsewhere, this layer is no longer a concern.

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.

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.