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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 19th, 2021–Dec 20th, 2021

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

Regions

Northwest Coastal.

Use Caution near ridge crests in treeline and alpine. Rider triggerable wind slab can still be found.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Sunday night: moderate North winds with a low of -19 at 900m. No new snow expected.

Monday: Sunny. No new snow expected. moderate to strong North winds. High of -15 at 900m. 

Tuesday: 15cm of new snow with extreme West winds. High of -12 at 900m.

Wednesday: some light flurries with light East winds. High of -10 at 900m.

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday one natural wind slab size 1.5 was observed on a South aspect at 1500m.

Snowpack Summary

Variable winds over the last week mean wind slab could be found on all aspects in exposed terrain in the alpine and treeline.

The December 18th surface hoar/facet layer is down 15cm.

The December 7 persistent weak layer is now typically down 50-70 cm, though some professional operations are saying that it is getting harder to find. This interface may include a crust, facets, or surface hoar.

Snowpack depths vary greatly across the region, expect to find anywhere from 100-300 cm of snow around treeline.

Terrain and Travel

  • Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and wind exposure.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.

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.