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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 25th, 2024–Dec 26th, 2024

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

Regions

Coquihalla, Manning, Skagit.

Storm slabs will be building overnight and throughout the day Thursday.These slabs will be most reactive on steep, north through easterly slopes near ridgetops.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

We are aware of an avalanche incident occurring near Coquihalla Summit on Wednesday. At this time, no further details are available.

A small rider-triggered avalanche occurred near Needle Peak on Monday. See photo below.

Looking ahead, we expect to see more natural and human-triggered avalanches occurring throughout the storm cycle.

Observations have been limited in this region. Please consider sharing your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

Since Saturday, 25 to 45 cm of snow has accumulated at upper elevations, while lower elevations saw mostly rain.

A further 15 to 30 cm of snow with rain at lower elevations is expected overnight and through Thursday, accompanied by strong to extreme southerly ridgetop winds. This will likely build cornices and form deeper more reactive slabs on lee northerly slopes while scouring windward southerly slopes.

The highest precipitation amounts are forecast for the western parts of the region, with lower amounts for the Allison Pass area.

Below treeline, a crust or moist snow will likely be observed on the surface.

Snow depths at treeline range from 140 cm in the Coquihalla to 85 cm near Manning Park.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Cloudy with 7 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m dropping to 700 m.

Thursday

Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.

Friday

Cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 25 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 800 m.

Saturday

Cloudy with 15 to 25 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 700 m rising to 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Don't let storm day fever lure you into consequential terrain.
  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.