Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Dec 10 – 11, 2015Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The places you are going to find the best riding conditions in the wake of the storm are probably the same places where the danger from a layer of buried surface hoar is greatest.

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    2–5
    Human triggered avalanches are possible, especially in wind loaded features in the alpine and at tree-line where the recent storm snow may be sitting on a layer of buried surface hoar.

Confidence

Moderate - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

The next few storms are tracking to the south and are going to largely miss the Northwest regions. FRIDAY: flurries, light southwest wind, freezing level 500m. SATURDAY: flurries, light east winds, freezing level 500m. SUNDAY: clear, moderate northwest winds.  Freezing level valley bottom.

Avalanche Summary

Widespread avalanche activity was reported throughout the recent storm, with many of these avalanche reported to be releasing on a layer of surface hoar now buried between 70cm and 1m deep

Snowpack Summary

Up to a meter of settled snow now sits upon a layer of buried surface hoar.  This layer has the potential for remote triggering and wide propagations.  It is likely to be lurking in most sheltered areas at tree-line although it has been spotted well into the alpine in Bear Pass. Southwesterly winds are loading lee features. Below 1500m heavy rains have likely saturated the snow pack and may have formed a new rain crust

Regions covered