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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 16th, 2023–Dec 17th, 2023

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

Regions

Vancouver Island, East Island, North Island, South Island, West Island.

Warming temperatures may create conditions for human-triggered wet avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

There have been no reported avalanches in our region.

Please help out your backcountry community by submitting a MIN report if you head out to the backcountry.

Snowpack Summary

Rain and warm temperatures continue to affect the already shallow snowpack.

The top layer, 15 to 20 cm of previously wind-distributed snow, will become moist. This overlies a hard melt-freeze crust. Another crust with surface hoar above it can be found down 30 to 40 cm. We are not concerned about these layers at this time.

The snowpack has yet to cover many early-season hazards and large areas of terrain are below avalanche threshold. Only specific terrain features with smooth ground cover, gullies, or established avalanche paths are above the threshold for avalanches.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Cloudy, light to very light showers, ridgetop winds 10 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature 2 °C, freezing level climbing to 3000 m by morning.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud, small amounts of precipitation, ridgetop wind south 5 to 15 km/h, freezing level 3000 m.

Monday

Mostly cloudy, 5 mm of precipitation, ridgetop wind south 20 to 40 km/h, freezing levels around 2500 m. 

Tuesday

Cloudy, 15 to 20 mm of precipitation, ridgetop wind south 25 km/h, freezing levels 2000 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.
  • Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.

Problems

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.