Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Dec 26 – 27, 2015Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Saturday's snowfall amounts will likely vary throughout the region. Areas to the west may receive more snow, and the Avalanche Danger may be higher than posted.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    New snow and wind will have created new and potentially reactive wind slabs in higher elevation lee terrain. Watch for triggering in the lee of ridge crests and in gullies.

Confidence

Moderate

Weather Forecast

On Sunday morning expect lingering flurries with clearing throughout the day. On Monday and Tuesday the region should see a mix of sun and cloud as a dry ridge of high pressure starts to develop. Ridgetop winds should remain mainly light for the forecast period. Alpine temperatures will hover between -16 and -20 for all 3 days.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

Light amounts (5-15cm) of new snow have fallen with higher amounts expected in the west of the region. Strong southwest winds have likely shifted the new snow into fresh and reactive wind slabs in upper elevation lee terrain. We're still dealing with a thin, early-season snow pack for much of the Northwest Inland region. Between 80 and 100 cm of snow can be found at tree-line in the south and west of the region, with closer to 60 cm in the east. A weak basal layer probably exists in most areas and I suspect that the recent cold temperatures have continued to create weak faceted crystals in the snowpack, especially in shallow, rocky areas.

Regions covered