Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 16th, 2022 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
dsaly,
Avalanche Canada
Keep backcountry travel low-risk and close to the car. With really cold temperatures and some of the shortest daylight hours of the year, any sort of incident (even broken equipment) could quickly become an epic.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days in the region.
Please continue to share any observations of photos on the Mountain Information Network!
Snowpack Summary
40-80 cm of snow continues to bond and settle over a generally weak sugary, facetted mid and lower snowpack. Isolated pockets of wind slab persist in wind-exposed terrain at higher elevations.
Snowpack depths are highly variable, ranging from 80-180 cm in the alpine. Below treeline the snowpack is thin and sugary making it a challenge to access terrain in many areas without damaging your sled or skis.
Weather Summary
Friday night
Cloudy, windy, and dropping temperatures. Isolated flurries with trace accumulation. Northwest wind gusting to 40 km/hr. Overnight lows -28 C.
Saturday
Cold, grey, and windy. Moderate to strong northeast wind, winds will be strongest in the north near Pine Pass and Mt. Murry and tapper as you travel south towards Kakwa and Valemount. Isolated flurries possible, higher chance on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Daytime high temperature -20 C.
Sunday
Colder, the arctic air settles in. Cloudy and moderate northeast wind. Daytime high temperature -20 C.
Monday
Very cold, a bit less windy. Moderate northeast wind, daytime high temperatures -27 C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
- Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.
- Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Cold arctic air and northeasterly wind will build fresh slabs on lee features. Watch for pockets of cohesive snow in exposed terrain at upper elevations, around ridges and convex rolls.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 17th, 2022 4:00PM
