Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 26th, 2023 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
bchristie,
Avalanche Canada
Seek terrain that is sheltered from the wind for better snow and lower avalanche danger. Retreat to mellow terrain if you find signs of instability like shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
On Tuesday, avalanche control using explosives produced a few large (size 2-2.5) avalanches within the recent storm snow, as deep as 75 cm.
On Monday, a few small to large (size 1-2.5) naturally triggered storm slab avalanches were reported. Due to poor visibility during the storm, these reports are low on details.
If you head into the backcountry please consider submitting your observations to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Strong southerly winds are maintaining wind slabs in exposed leeward terrain. South facing slopes (windward), have likely been scoured by the strong winds. Storm totals in sheltered areas above the freezing line range from 50-100 cm.
A spotty layer of surface hoar can be found down over 100 cm in sheltered terrain features at and below treeline. The distribution of this layer is not well known, and it may be getting too deep to be triggered by the weight of a human.
A layer of facets buried at the end of November can be found near the ground. The snowpack depth varies between 200 and 300 cm at treeline.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy. Trace of snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, becoming light by the morning. Freezing level falls to valley bottom. Treeline temperature around -8 °C.
Wednesday
Mainly cloudy. 5 cm of snow expected, up to 10 cm in areas around Stewart. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing levels around valley bottom, treeline temperatures around -6 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow expected. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level rises to 750 m. Treeline temperatures around -3 °C.
Friday
Cloudy. 10-25 cm of snow expected. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level. rises to 1100 m. Treeline temperatures around -1 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
- Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
- Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
Problems
Wind Slabs
The wind is forecasted to change direction to the southeast on Wednesday, forming new wind slabs on different slope aspects. This avalanche problem may be less concerning below treeline where there is less wind exposure.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 27th, 2023 4:00PM
