Avalanche forecast

Northwest Coastal

Jan 29 – 30, 2024Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
5 · Extreme
Treeline
5 · Extreme
Below
4 · High
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Highlights

Travel in avalanche terrain is strongly not recommended today.Very large avalanches have been observed in the region recently and are expected to continue.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    2–4

    There is high potential for the warm temperatures, strong winds, and new precipitation to overload these layers triggering very large avalanches.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely - Very Likely
    Size
    1–3

    Storm slabs are likely to be very reactive to human triggering today and may be wet slabs at lower elevations.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2

    Loose wet avalanches can be very destructive and have serious consequences due to their high density.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
  • Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Saturday: Numerous large and very large (up to size 4) naturally-triggered avalanches were observed in the Bear Pass area.

In other parts of the region numerous large and very large (size 2-3) natural and explosive-triggered avalanches were observed failing as storm slabs and on deeper persistent weak layers. Numerous loose wet avalanches were also observed.

This widespread natural avalanche cycle is expected to continue over the coming days.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 80 cm of snow has fallen in parts of the region over the last week. This snow is likely very dense, settling rapidly, and moist or wet at treeline elevations and below, where some of this snow fell as rain. In the alpine strong southerly winds have been blowing this snow, depositing it as thick and touchy slabs on leeward slopes.

A weak layer of surface hoar and/or facets formed earlier in the month that is now buried around 60-80cm. Below this, a thick crust from January 1st exists up to around 1600 m. There is high potential for the warm temperatures and new precipitation to overload these layers triggering very large avalanches.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Cloudy with 10-30 cm of new snow /moderate to heavy rain, southeast alpine wind 50-60 km/h, treeline temperature 0°C, freezing level 1100 m

Monday

Cloudy with 15-35 cm of new snow / moderate to heavy rain, southerly alpine wind 70-80 km/h, treeline temperature 1 °C, freezing level 1300 m.

Tuesday

Cloudy with 2-7 cm of snow / light to moderate rain, southwest alpine wind 30 km/h, treeline high of 0 °C, freezing level 1100m

Wednesday

Cloudy with 10-20 cm of snow / Moderate to heavy rain, southeast alpine wind 40 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C, freezing level 700 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

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