Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Nov 27th, 2022 4:00PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs.

Avalanche Canada dsaly, Avalanche Canada

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Assess conditions as you travel - snow may hide reactive slabs or, more likely, early-season hazards.

Summary

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed or reported in the region. Observations are limited at this time of year, if you head into the backcountry consider submitting a MIN report.

Snowpack Summary

Weekend snowfall accumulation ranged from 10-15 cm near the Duffy and upwards of 35 cm around the Coquihalla and south. While the snowfall totals vary around the region, southwest wind has impacted fresh snow equally. This snow mostly covered a crust at upper elevations and moist snow and dirt at treeline and below.

Where the snowpack is growing, a weak drought layer is down 20-50 cm. This layer consists of hard, wind-affected snow in the alpine, surface hoar or facetted snow in sheltered areas, and a crust on solar aspects and low elevations. Below this layer, several other facet-crust interfaces exist in the snowpack.

Terrain features poke through a building snowpack that ranges from 50-100 cm in the alpine and 40-60 cm at treeline. Most solar slopes and below treeline are below the threshold for avalanches.

Weather Summary

Sunday night

Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace accumulation and clearing overnight. Light to moderate north wind, treeline low temperatures -20 C, and freezing level valley bottom.

Monday

Sunny and cold with patchy clouds. Light north wind, treeline high temperatures -12 C.

Tuesday

Cold with a mix of sun and cloud and isolated flurries. Light northeast wind, treeline temperature -16 C.

Wednesday

Incoming precipitation and wind, 10-20 mm, strong southwest wind, treeline temperatures rising to -8 C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs

While the weekend snowfall favoured the Coquihalla Summit and south, westerly winds have impacted the South Coast Inland equally. Check for wind slabs around roll-overs, ridges, and cross-loaded terrain. Be mindful that winds are shifting more northerly, this could change where wind slabs lurk.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, North West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 1.5

Valid until: Nov 28th, 2022 4:00PM