Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Dec 16th, 2013–Dec 17th, 2013

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Regions: Sea To Sky.

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Tonight and Tuesday: Cloudy with light precipitation, increasing in intensity on Tuesday morning. Expect around 10-15 cm with a freezing level around 1200-1500 m. Winds are strong to extreme from the W-SW. Wednesday: Clearing throughout the day. The freezing level should drop to 400-500 m. Winds ease to light or moderate from the NW-N. Thursday: Mainly sunny and cooler. The freezing level should be at sea level with moderate northerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches reported. Expect touchy fresh wind slabs to form on Tuesday with snowfall and strong Westerly winds.

Snowpack Summary

Snowpack depths vary greatly across the region, but are significantly lower than average for this time of year. Terrain below treeline is still mostly below threshold for avalanche activity. Due to strong to extreme southwest winds on Sunday pockets of touchy wind slab likely exist at upper elevations. Roughly 20-30cm of snow now overlies a variety of old surfaces which formed during the early December cold snap. These surfaces include: generally faceted snow (which may overlie a crust in some areas), spotty surface hoar in sheltered terrain and hard wind slab on south-facing alpine terrain. Thin snowpack areas, particularly around rocks, are reported to be highly faceted.Early season riding hazards such as rocks, stumps and logs are lurking below the surface at treeline elevations. In glaciated terrain the forecast snow might just be enough to hide open crevasses where supportive snow bridges have not yet developed.

Avalanche Problems

Wind Slabs

The combination of new snow and very strong W-SW winds on Tuesday will likely form touchy new wind slabs in exposed lee terrain well into treeline.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Choose well supported terrain without convexities and avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small slide could be very serious. >Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood: Possible - Likely

Expected Size: 1 - 3