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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 29th, 2019–Nov 30th, 2019

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Sea To Sky.

Sunny, cold conditions and firm snow surfaces will make for fast travel in the alpine this weekend. Watch for early season obstacles and lingering pockets of wind slab.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

Friday Night: Clear skies, moderate wind from the northeast, alpine temperatures -12 C.

Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud, light wind switching to SE, alpine high -8 C.

Sunday: Increasing cloud in the afternoon, moderate wind from the southwest, alpine high -8 C.

Monday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, wind increasing to strong from the southwest, alpine high -5 C. Freezing level 700 m.

Avalanche Summary

Ridge tops and slopes where the wind has deposited blowing snow are places where avalanches could most likely be triggered right now. Early season avalanches can most easily propagate and run in areas where the ground is smooth, such as on glaciers, rock slabs, scree slopes, or grassy slopes.

Observations are limited this time of year, so there is a fair bit of uncertainty about the extent of current avalanche activity. If you see anything while out in the field, please consider sharing that information with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

Recent reports, including a MIN post from Friday, describe scoured northerly aspects and firm wind pressed snow of variable depths over a hard rain crust in the alpine. A photo from another recent MIN report illustrates this variable snow coverage near treeline in the Whistler sidecountry. Snow depths up to 150 cm have been observed above 2000 m, tapering to 50 cm near treeline, with no snow below 1600m.

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.