Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 13th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
ejones,
Avalanche Canada
Use caution when transitioning into wind-affected terrain.
Wind slabs may exist on a variety of alpine slopes due to switching winds.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
Friday Ski tourers on Hudson Bay Mountain felt whumpfing and saw a few small natural wind slabs in the alpine on south-facing slopes.
Several other natural size 2 wind slabs were also seen in the Telkwa Ranges on steep, rocky, northeast-facing slopes.
Wednesday The field team made shooting cracks ski cutting a wind loaded southwest-facing alpine slope. More details here.
Layers of buried surface hoar continue to produce planar fractures in snowpack testing near Kispiox.
Snowpack Summary
15 to 20 cm of recent storm snow sits on a rain crust up to 1650 m. In the alpine, recent northeast winds have built wind slabs on south and westerly faces.
Two or more preserved surface hoar layers can be found buried between 35 and 70 cm deep. These layers are most prominent at treeline and below treeline elevations, above 1200 m. They've also been observed in north and east-facing alpine locations.
Snowpack depths at treeline vary across the region with generally deeper amounts (150 to 120 cm) west of the highway, and shallower (50 to 90 cm) to the east.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
A few clouds with no new snow, variable alpine wind 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperatures drop to -30 ºC.
Sunday
Mostly sunny with no new snow, westerly alpine wind 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperatures -25 ºC.
Monday
Cloudy with no new snow, west alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperatures -25 ºC.
Tuesday
Cloudy with 5 cm of new snow, north alpine wind 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperatures -20 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent north and easterly winds have built wind slabs in atypical places in the alpine. West winds on Sunday may build thin but reactive slabs on lee slopes.
Aspects: North East, East, South East, South, South West, West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Several buried surface hoar layers may be found 35 to 70 cm deep.
These layers exist at elevations above 1200 m.
These layers do not seem to be an issue on previously wind-scoured terrain in the alpine, like south and west faces.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 14th, 2024 4:00PM
