Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 1st, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
bchristie,
Avalanche Canada
Retreat to mellower terrain if you see signs of instability like cracking around your skis, feet, or sled.
Small, reactive wind slabs may not be sticking well to a hard layer underneath.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
This MIN post reports a few large (size 2) naturally triggered avalanches east of Pemberton, likely occurring during the storm Saturday night/Sunday morning, with new snow sliding on a hard crust.
No avalanches involving surface hoar/ crust were reported over the last 3 days, but field observations are limited.
If you head into the backcountry, please consider submitting observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of settling snow may sit over a thin, frozen crust up to 2000 m.
Underneath, a mix of soft snow and heavily wind-affected snow overlies a thick crust and, in some sheltered areas, surface hoar. Professionals are still concerned about the reactivity of this layer, especially near thin and shallow rocky features.
Overall, the snow depth remains shallow, with average treeline snowpack depths between 80 and 120 cm.
Weather Summary
Monday Night
Mostly clear. No precipitation. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5 °C, freezing level around 1100 m.
Tuesday
Partly cloudy. 2-4 cm of snow expected above 900 m. Light south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -3 °C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. Very light rain/trace of snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. treeline temperature around -2 °C, freezing level around 1000 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected above 750 m. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -4 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Investigate the bond of the recent snow
- Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Lingering wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggering above 2000 m where the crust near the surface is thin/breakable or absent. There is a potential for wide propagation as slabs may rest on surface hoar and/or crust.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 2nd, 2024 4:00PM
