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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 23rd, 2019–Dec 24th, 2019

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Recent snow, continued flurries, and wind continue to promote slab development at upper elevations.

Confidence

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

Weather Forecast

Monday Night: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine temperature -6 C. South-southwest wind, 35 km/hr gusting to 70 km/hr.

Tuesday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, 5-10 cm. Alpine temperature -6 C. West wind, 25-45 km/hr.

Wednesday: Mainly cloudy. Alpine temperature -7 C. Southwest wind, 30-50 km/hr.

Thursday: Snow, 10-35 cm. Alpine temperature -4 C. Southwest wind 50-85 km/hr.

Avalanche Summary

There have been no recent reports of avalanche activity.

Snowpack Summary

15-30 cm of snow fell in the region early last week and flurries continue to contribute to totals. Moderate south-southwesterly winds have since developed wind slabs, especially around ridge features and into the alpine. 

Reports suggest there are 2 buried layers of surface hoar in the upper snowpack - one down 15-25 cm below the new snow, and another down 25-40. Where wind has scoured the snowpack, a crust from November is at or near the surface. In leeward terrain, this crust is 40-80 cm deep, and may include surface hoar in sheltered openings up to treeline.

Older crusts can be found deeper in the snowpack and are generally breaking down. In areas with a relatively thin snowpack, the base of the snowpack likely consists of weak faceted grains.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.

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.