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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 28th, 2023–Dec 29th, 2023

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

Regions

Northwest Coastal, Boundary, Stewart, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw.

When rainfall begins on new snow, expect the danger rating to be at High.

Choose terrain that is not exposed to overhead hazard and seek low angle slopes, especially as temperatures increase.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, explosive avalanche control produced large avalanches up to size 2.5 within the recent storm snow, with crowns as deep as 75 cm.

On Monday, a natural avalanche cycle up to size 2.5 was reported during the storm.

If you head into the backcountry please consider submitting your observations to the Mountain Information Network!

Snowpack Summary

Snowfall amounts from the recent storm range from 50 to 100 cm. At elevations below 500 m a thick 10 cm crust is found at the surface.

At upper elevations, strong southerly winds have formed deep wind slabs in leeward terrain, while scouring windward slopes.

A spotty layer of surface hoar can be found down over 100 cm in sheltered terrain features at and below treeline. The distribution of this layer is not well known, and it may be getting too deep to be triggered by the weight of a human.

A layer of facets buried at the end of November can be found near the ground. The snowpack depth varies between 200 and 300 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Cloudy with snow flurries, 5-15 cm. Moderate to strong southeast wind. Treeline temperatures around -3 °C. Freezing level 500 m.

Friday

Cloudy with snowfall 10-20 cm, turning to rain below 1300 m. Moderate to strong southeast wind. Treeline temperatures around -1 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with snow flurries 5-10 cm. Moderate to strong southeast wind. Treeline temperatures around -1 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Sunday

Daytime clearing with possible light flurries. Trace amounts of new snow. Moderate south west wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C. Freezing level 200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • The first few hours of rain will likely be the most dangerous period.
  • Keep in mind that human triggering potential persists as natural avalanching tapers off.
  • Stay off recently wind loaded slopes until they have had a chance to stabilize.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.