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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 7th, 2023–Mar 8th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains, Littoral, Murdochville.

Dry snow still available for transport at high elevations, moderate to strong winds on the summits and warmth will be the drivers of our avalanche problems on Wednesday. Although the rating is dropping in some elevation bands, it is important to remember that with a moderate rating, triggering by a skier is still possible. The new wind slabs still show reactivity when tested. It is essential to know how to identify the signs of instability before venturing onto a slope.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Two avalanches of size 1.5 were reported on March 6th by Ski Chic-Chocs in the couloir de l'aigle and the trois mousquetaires at the Madeleine mines. These were 24 to 36 hours old.

Several small wet loose snow avalanches were observed Tuesday by the field team on the southern slopes of the Madeleine mines

Thanks for contributing to the collection of this valuable data by sharing with other users on the Mountain Information Network or by writing to us directly at [email protected].

Snowpack Summary

Near the summits, the wind redistributed the available snow, exposing different crusts, ice, or wind-hardened snow on the surface, and creating a superposition of wind slabs of varying density and thickness on the leeward slopes. This wind also favored the formation of cornices in the Alpine. In the more sheltered areas, the February 17 crust is generally found under 20 to 35 cm of new snow. Warmer temperatures on Tuesday also affected the snowpack. A thin refreezing crust was present above 900 m and the snow was humid below this altitude. It would therefore be possible to find a crust at lower elevations on Wednesday. The middle of the snowpack is well consolidated with the January 18 crust 50-80 cm below the surface.In general, snowpack heights range from 80 to 100 cm in the valley to 110 to 160 cm in the mid-mountain.

Weather Summary

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits.

Synopsis: Some residual precipitation following the passage of the low. Tuesday evening and night: Light snow, 1 to 3 cm. Wind northeast, 40 to 60 km/h. Low -2. Freezing level at 350 mWednesday: Cloudy, light snow possible in the morning, clearing in the afternoon. . Wind northeast, 35 to 45 km/h. Max. -3C. Freezing level at 430 m. Thursday: Light snow, clearing in the morning. Wind 20 to 40 km/h from the northeast. Max. -4C. Freezing level at 430 m. Friday: Alternating sun and clouds. Wind northwest, 25 to 45 km/h. Maximum -6. Freezing level at sea level.

For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Give the new snow time to settle and stabilize before pushing into bigger terrain.
  • As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
  • Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.