Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Corner Brook, Gros Morne, Long Range Mountains, Northern Peninsula.
Wind loaded features continue to be a concern with wind and snow available for transport. Watch for deep deposits around ridgelines and mid slope terrain features. Sheltered slopes will hold the best riding conditions.
Next forecast Friday 4pm.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
We expect a small natural cycle of avalanche activity may occur within the storm snow with the incoming weather, primarily in wind affected features.
Last weekends heavy snowfall produced a large natural avalanche cycle.
Please continue to share your observations on the Mountain Information Network to help guide our forecasts.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 25 cm of fresh storm snow has fallen over higher terrain, redistributed into deeper deposits by easterly winds. Winds are expected to shift to southwest by Monday, likely creating variable pockets of dense wind affected snow on most aspects and potentially scouring exposed slopes back to hard layers of snow and crust.
This storm snow will sit over wind affected, settling snow from last weeks heavy snowfall. Recent MIN reports have noted the active wind loading occurring in many areas over the week, creating highly variable deposits of snow from 40-150 cm deep.
A hard melt freeze crust sits below this settling storm snow. Reports suggest the recent storm snow is well bonded to the crust, however larger avalanches are still possible to 'step down' to this layer where a weaker bond exists, more likely in shallow snowpack areas. The lower snowpack below this crust is dense and well bonded from previous rainfall.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
NW wind up to 50 km/hr. Flurries are possible overnight, with trace accumulations expected.
Sunday
Cloudy. Light snow redeveloping around midday, up to 5cm possible. Winds shift to SW, up to 50 km/hr. High temperature of -6°C.
Monday
Clearing skies, no snowfall expected. NW winds are expected to ease to 20 km/hr. High temperature of -13 °C.
Tuesday
Increasing cloud, E/NE winds. No snowfall expected. High temperature of -9 °C.
Outlook for the week:
A relatively stable and cool weather pattern holds over the Long Range Mountains this week, with mostly sunny days expected under a northeast flow. The next active system approaches on Friday, looking rather warm.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Fresh reactive wind slabs are expected to continue to form over the weekend, as winds shift from southeast to the northwest. Expect loading on all aspects.
New snow sits over previously wind loading. while these slabs are likely more stubborn to human triggers, they may produce larger avalanches.
Check for visible wind loading on all aspects around ridgelines and watch for mid slope cross-loaded features like gullies and ribs as you descend. Avoid freshly wind loaded features and give the snow time to stabilize and bond.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible - Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2