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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 26th, 2014–Jan 27th, 2014

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
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.

Confidence

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Monday

Weather Forecast

Overnight and Monday: The ridge of high pressure is expected to shift Eastwards allowing a weak front to approach the coast. Expect increasing cloud during the day with light Southerly winds. Freezing levels should gradually lower to about 2000 metres as the inversion breaks down.Tuesday: Cloudy with light precipitation beginning in the afternoon. Winds increasing to moderate from the Southwest and freezing levels between 1000-1500 metres.Wednesday: 5-10 cm of snow above 1000 metres. Winds moderate from the West.

Avalanche Summary

Some loose wet avalanches up to size 2.0 were reported from the Backcountry near Whistler.

Snowpack Summary

It has been very warm in the alpine for the past few days. There has not been much crust recovery above treeline, and the surface snow has been described as slushy. The snowpack appears to be a well settled "spring" like snowpack, however the snowpack is very shallow and weak facetted base layers continue to be found.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

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.