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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 24th, 2020–Feb 26th, 2020

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon.

Danger will escalate throughout the week as new snow accumulates to form unstable wind slabs.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the track & intensity of the incoming weather system.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with some light flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow, moderate south wind, alpine temperatures drop to -18 C. 

TUESDAY: Periods of snow, 5-10 cm, moderate south wind with 50 km/h gusts, alpine high temperatures around -8 C.

WEDNESDAY: Scattered flurries with another 5-10 cm of snow, strong south wind, alpine high temperatures around -5 C. 

THURSDAY: Another pulse of flurries with 10-15 cm of new snow, strong south wind, alpine high temperatures around -5 C.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported over the weekend. There were several reports of size 2-3 avalanches during last week's storm, including a large slab triggered by a falling cornice on north face in Taiya Valley.

Last week's storm snow may still be possible to trigger in steep wind-affected terrain, but the primary concern this week will be new slabs forming as snow accumulates.

Snowpack Summary

New slabs will form this week as the weather forecast calls for roughly 5-10 cm of snow per day with strong south wind. A storm last week delivered 20-30 cm of snow that has been redistributed by shifting winds, leaving old wind slabs on a variety of aspects in exposed terrain. Cornices are reported to be growing in size as well.

At White Pass, where snowpack depths are between 180 and 250 cm, the mid and lower snowpack layers are well bonded. In the Wheaton Valley, the base of the thin snowpack comprises mainly of sugary facets and is capped by a breakable crust.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.

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.