Regions
Northwest Inland.
Be aware of wind slabs at upper elevations as well as a weak layer deep in the snowpack. This layer has produced recent large avalanches and may be triggered by a wind slab release or from a shallow snowpack area.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Isolated flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm. Moderate southwest wind. Alpine temperature -6. Freezing level 500 m.FRIDAY: Isolated flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm. Light to moderate southwest wind. Alpine temperature -7. Freezing level 500 m.Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud. Light west wind. Alpine temperature -10. Freezing level 300 m.
Avalanche Summary
Skiers in the Seaton area on Tuesday reported remotely triggering a large (Size 2.5) avalanche from 150 m away as they approached a north-facing, treeline bowl. The avalanche was triggered from a shallow snowpack area and failed on a weak layer of sugary, snow crystals just above the late October crust near the base of the snowpack. Last week several estimated Size 2.5-3 avalanches were observed on the Kathlyn face of Hudson Bay Mountain and are also suspected to have failed on the late October crust. This "crust/facet combo" layer is capable of producing very large avalanche and is expected to remain a layer of concern for some time. Please post your observations to the Mountain Information Network. (MIN)
Snowpack Summary
Snowpack depths over the south of the region average 100-140 cm at treeline elevations, and up to 160 cm in the alpine. Approximately 30-40 cm of recent snow now overlies the supportive November 23 crust that formed last week and is suspected to extended well into alpine elevations. Below this crust is well settled snow and the widespread late October crust, which is present near the base of the snowpack at all elevations and features a layer of weak, sugary grains above it. This late October "crust/facet combo" layer has been reported as the failure layer for recent large avalanches, and has also been producing moderate, sudden compression test results in snowpack tests. This layer will remain a concern for the potential of a slab release to step down to this layer as well as the potential for large propagations triggered from shallow snowpack areas.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.