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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 10th, 2024–Jan 11th, 2024

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

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

Watch for slabs formed by northerly winds.

Cold exposure is also a major concern for backcountry travellers (read more in this blog).

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

The arrival of the arctic front on Wednesday resulted in a cycle of natural wind slab avalanches. The freshly formed wind slabs were also reactive to skiers, with whumpfs and shooting cracks reported by the Yukon Field Team.

Snowpack Summary

Most surfaces are likely wind-affected after the passage of the arctic front, but you may still find pockets of soft snow in sheltered areas.

A layer of surface hoar that formed on Christmas Eve may be found 50 cm deep, but recent observations suggest it has bonded.

Snowpack depths range from 80 to 200 cm, with local variations due to wind redistribution.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Clear skies with no precipitation, alpine wind north 40 km/h, treeline temperature drops to -30 ºC.

Thursday

Clear skies with no precipitation, alpine wind northeast 40 km/h, treeline temperature -30 ºC.

Friday

Clear skies with no precipitation, alpine wind west 20 km/h, treeline temperature -30 ºC.

Saturday

Increasing cloud with up to 2 cm of snow, alpine wind west 40 km/h, treeline temperature -24ºC.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.

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.