Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Northwest Inland.
Continue to assess for wind slab before committing to a feature. rider triggerable wind slab can still be found near ridge crests and steep roll overs.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
vvvThursday night: Light north wind in the alpine with some light flurries. Low of -26 at 1600m.
Friday: light east winds in the alpine with no new snow expected. High of -24 at 1600m.
Saturday: moderate winds from the Northeast with no new snow expected. High of -28 at 1600m.
Sunday: sunny with no new snow expected. wind will be moderate to strong from the northeast. High of -29 at 1600m.
Avalanche Summary
One size 2 skier accidental was reported on Wednesday. This avalanche was a wind slab on a north aspect in the alpine with a slab thickness of 40cm.Â
Snowpack Summary
Wind slab could be found on all aspects as the winds have varied over the last few days. Cold temps and dry air will likely facet out the snow surface and reduce reactivity of wind slab over the next couple days. The increased winds on Sunday could then redistribute surface facets into new wind slab.
The December 15 surface hoar layer is 10 to 20cm below the surface in sheltered treeline and below . It is likely not a problem yet.
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Snowpack depth at treeline typically ranges from 120-220 cm, with higher values in the western part of the region and tapering to the east.Â
Terrain and Travel
- Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind slab can be found on all aspects. Many west facing slopes are scoured but cross loaded features could be found.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2