Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West, Yukon.
Uncertainty about a buried weak layer warrants conservative terrain choices.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported Wednesday or Tuesday (at time of publishing). On Monday, a few size 1 to 2 natural avalanches occurred on northeast alpine slopes.
There have been no recent reports of persistent slab avalanches, but uncertainty remains. Snowpack test results and whumpfing suggest it may still be triggerable in some areas.
Snowpack Summary
10 to 20 cm of new snow fell on Monday and Tuesday. Expect lesser amounts of new snow the further east you go. It came with strong southwest wind which built slabs on lee slopes and scoured exposed areas back to old, hard layers.
A weak layer of facets and a crust from early December is buried 50 to 100 cm deep. This layer exists on all aspects up to around 1700 m.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy with 0 to 1 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -15 °C.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with 1 to 3 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -20 °C.
Friday
Mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 50 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -22 °C.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 40 to 60 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -24 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low angle terrain with no overhead hazard.
- Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to buried weak layers.
Avalanche Problems
Persistent Slabs
The early December weak layer may still be triggered in shallow, thin-to-thick areas, or with large loads like a cornice or avalanche.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3.5