Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Nov 23rd, 2012 9:02AM

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

Avalanche Canada triley, Avalanche Canada

This bulletin is based on limited data. Local variations in conditions are likely to exist. Check out the forecasters blog for further details on interpreting early season bulletins.

Summary

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations for the entire period

Weather Forecast

Overnight and Saturday: Strong winds from the South should start to ease back to moderate during the night, and continue moderate with strong gusts during the day. Alpine temperatures are expected to be about -10.0 and the freezing level should be at valley bottoms for the entire forecast period. Precipitation amounts should taper off to just a couple of mm over night and 2-4 mm on Saturday.Sunday: The wind is expected to remain moderate, and shift to come out of the NW. Cool temps with continued cloud and only a trace of precipitation.Monday: The next Pacific Low pressure may hit the North Coast by Monday, or slow down and not show up until Tuesday.

Avalanche Summary

There has been no new avalanche reported in the region but if you have any avalanche observation to report, please send us an email. A report from the Hankin-Evelyn area at the beginning of the month included a small human-triggered slab avalanche starting from a thin rock area. The slab was approximately 20cm deep and 8m and, ran full path with 70cm of deposition in the runout.

Snowpack Summary

Snow depth varying  from 60 in the Northern part of the region to 100 cm in the Southern part of the region. Weather stations around the region recorded around 16 cm of new snow in the last 24 hours, and about 26 cm in the last 48 hours. We expect new windslabs to form from transport of the storm snow in the alpine and treeline on the Northerly aspects.  It is likely that these 2 layers will take some time to bond and that avalanches could be triggered naturally or by additional light loads such as a person.  The information is limited to produce our avalanche bulletins at this time of the year, so any information you have about the snowpack, please communicate with us by email.

Problems

Wind Slabs

An icon showing Wind Slabs
People triggering avalanches is possible on open exposed slopes below ridge crests and behind terrain features, and in cross-loaded gullies.
Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Valid until: Nov 24th, 2012 2:00PM