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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 10th, 2023–Dec 11th, 2023

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 unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Sea To Sky, Brandywine, Garibaldi, Homathko, Spearhead, Tantalus, Sky Pilot.

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.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Through the weekend, the storm snow was reactive to skier triggering with several, size 1 to 1.5, storm snow avalanches being reported. Storm snow was particularly reactive in exposed areas where wind affect had built deeper pockets of storm snow.

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

15-20 cm of recent snow overlies a layer of surface hoar in sheltered areas and a melt-freeze crust elsewhere. Pockets of deeper wind-deposited snow can be found at treeline and above and have been reactive to human triggering.

Overall, the snow depth remains relatively shallow, with numerous hazards present at or just below the snow surface across all elevations.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, no precipitation, variable alpine winds 10 km/h, treeline temperature 0 °C, freezing levels 1500 m.

Monday

Mix of sun and cloud, no precipitation, west alpine winds 10 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C, freezing levels 1400 m.

Tuesday

Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C, freezing levels rise to 2200 m by afternoon in the southern half of the region.

Wednesday

Cloudy with flurries, 10 to 15 mm accumulation, southwest alpine wind 60 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature -2 °C, freezing level 1200 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or 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

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.