Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 18th, 2015 8:07AM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
triley,
Avalanche Canada
Pockets of wind slab continue to be a concern for triggering by human activities. Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain and be aware that older wind slabs may lurk beneath thin new snow layers.
Summary
Confidence
High
Weather Forecast
Flurries Friday night resulting in 2-3 cm by Saturday morning. Flurries and increasing southwest winds during the day Saturday. Expect 3-5 cm by Sunday morning with strong southerly winds. Winds becoming moderate westerly during the day with continued flurries. 2-5 cm by Monday morning. Freezing levels remaining at valley bottoms during the entire forecast period, and around -12 at treeline.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported. Incremental loading should develop thin new wind slabs on lee aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Hungry Hill near Houston has had close to 15 cm in the past 24 hours, and Hudson Bay Mtn reported 11 cm this morning. This will add to the early season snowpacks I had described earlier this weak. Shallow early season snowpack with 60 cm at treeline in drier areas like Babine Mountain and 100 cm at treeline in more westerly areas like Ashman. Both Tsai creek and Shedin creek snow pillows are well below average and very close to historical minimums. Shallow usually means weak, and cooler temperatures over a shallow and weak snowpack may mean a chance of facetted crystals near the ground. We had a report earlier in the week of hard wind slabs over weak basal facets in the east of the region. There may be some lingering surface hoar down 20-30 cm in some areas and I suspect that new surface hoar may be primed for burial by the forecast snow on Thursday.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind direction is variable across the region. Mostly southwest in the south of the region under the influence of Pacific storms, and northeast in the north where the arctic ridge is holding strong and keeping temperatures low.
Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>Avoid travelling in areas that have been reverse loaded by winds.>
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 19th, 2015 2:00PM
