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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 29th, 2022–Dec 30th, 2022

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains.

One last day to enjoy the new snow and the mild weather in the mountains before the heat and rain arrive...

Beware of small, isolated wind slabs in the alpine, the triggering of which could have serious consequences on the lower slopes, which still have little snow.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity has been observed or reported.

Please continue to share your observations at [email protected], or with the Mountain Information Network. It helps strengthen our data gathering.

Snowpack Summary

At lower elevations, 10 to 15 cm of low density snow covers the December 23 melt freeze crust, which does not quite support the weight of a skier. As you gain altitude, the crust fades in places to give way to a slightly denser snow interface, covered with 15 to 25 cm of low density snow. In the alpine, the strong to extreme winds of the latest weather events have swept the slopes down to the crust and even to the rocks. However, larger pockets of accumulation are found in downwind gullies and depressions in the alpine and at treeline.

The average height of the snowpack is still very thin, about 35 cm in the valley to 80 cm mid-mountain, and extremely variable from place to place.

Weather Summary

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits. A warm air mass is moving northeast and will affect Gaspésie starting Friday, bringing freezing rain and rain until Sunday morning.

Thursday evening and night: Snow, 2-4 cm, southwesterly winds 20 to 30 km/h, minimum -10 C with temperature inversion, freezing level at valley bottom.

Friday: Cloudy, southwesterly winds 30 to 40 km/h, maximum -3 C with temperature inversion, freezing level at valley bottom.

Saturday: Cloudy and rain, 3-5 mm, westerly winds 50 to 60 km/h, maximum +3 C, freezing level around 1500 m.

Sunday: Snow, 5-10 cm, northerly winds 30 to 50 km/h, maximum -2 C with temperatures dropping, freezing level back at valley bottom.

For more details, check out the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.

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.