Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 10th, 2023 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Storm Slabs.
lbaker,
Avalanche Canada
Use caution in wind-loaded areas where more cohesive slabs remain possible to human trigger.
Investigating the bond between new snow and underlying surfaces before committing to terrain.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
On Saturday a size 1, human-triggered, storm slab avalanche was observed in exposed wind-loaded features.
Thank you to everyone who has been sharing observations on the Mountain Information Network. All the information and photos are very appreciated by forecasters!
Snowpack Summary
15 to 20 cm of dense snow has buried a widespread melt-freeze crust. In isolated areas, a weak layer of surface hoar crystals rests between the crust and the new snow.
Overall, the snow depth remains relatively shallow, creating challenging travel conditions and numerous hazards at or just below the snow surface across all elevations.
Weather Summary
Sunday Night
Cloudy with isolated showers, trace accumulations, variable ridgetop winds 10 km/h, treeline temperature 1 °C, freezing levels 1600 m.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southeast ridgetop winds 10 km/h, treeline temperature 0 °C, freezing levels 1600 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with no precipitation, southwest ridgetop wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature 0 °C, freezing level rises to 2000 m by afternoon and continues rising to 3000 m overnight.
Wednesday
Cloudy with flurries, 10 to 25 mm accumulation, southwest ridgetop wind 40 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C, freezing level drops to 1200 m by afternoon.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
- Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
- Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.
Problems
Storm Slabs
10-20 cm storm snow and moderate winds have built deep cohesive pockets of storm snow in lees. Investigate how the new snow is bonding to underlying surfaces before committing to slopes.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 11th, 2023 4:00PM
