Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Yukon.
Fresh wind slabs are expected to form throughout the day on Wednesday.
Avoid slopes that have been freshly loaded by new snow and wind.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy / Moderate, northwest wind / Low of -11 / Freezing level surface.
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with flurries; 5-10 cm / Extreme, west wind / High of -3 / Freezing level 400 m.
THURSDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries; 0-3 cm / Strong, west wind / High of -4 / Freezing level 300 m.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with flurries; 3-5 cm / Extreme, southwest wind / High of -3 / Freezing level 500 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Monday.
Snowpack Summary
10 cm of new snow and moderate southerly winds are building fresh wind slabs on lee features. These slabs are expected to become increasingly reactive with the additional snow and wind forecast for Wednesday.
These wind slabs are sitting on a variety of wind affected surfaces and/or a sun crust that extends up to at least 1200 m on solar aspects. Below this, the mid-pack is generally well-settled and strong in most areas.
Weak facets (sugary snow) exist at the base of the snowpack, especially in more shallow snowpack areas such as the Inland areas.
Terrain and Travel
- Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
- Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
- Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Fresh wind slabs are expected to form throughout the day on Wednesday.
Whumpfing, cracking, and hollow sounds are all signs of instability that should cause you to back off into lower angle or less wind-loaded terrain.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5