Avalanche forecast

Sea To Sky

Jan 15 – 16, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 15 years ago

Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Although old wind slabs appear to have bonded fairly well, new wind slabs are likely to form quickly if the wind picks up again. Be alert for wind slab development in unusual locations as winds may be variable over the next few days.

  • Loose Dry

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Loose dry snow can sluff easily in steep terrain. In the wrong terrain, it could knock you off your feet, or carry you into a terrain trap.

Confidence

Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Weather Forecast

Monday: Cold with some flurries. Freezing level near surface.Tuesday: Light snow. Westerly winds. Cold.Wednesday: Moderate-heavy snow (poor confidence in Wednesday's snowfall amounts at this stage - stay posted).

Avalanche Summary

On Saturday, numerous avalanches were triggered by skiers and explosives. They failed in, or at the base of, the storm snow.

Snowpack Summary

Treeline snowpack depths are around 250cm.New snow has been shifted into wind slabs overlying a hard crust, which is topped by surface hoar in some locations. It may be easy to trigger slabs on this interface, which is most prevalent below 1900m. Deeper in the snowpack, a series of old storm snow layers and wind slabs have generally bonded well to each other and are now gaining strength, with hard results in snowpack tests.Concern for lower snowpack layers has diminished and remains only in shallow snowpack areas. Facets associated with a crust from mid-December and/or sugary facets at the base of the snowpack may still be a concern in shallow areas. Cornices are large and have shown fragility recently.

Regions covered