Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 13th, 2017 3:20PM

The alpine rating is low, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low.

jmcbride, Avalanche Canada

With more spring-like weather expected on Thursday, watch for changing snow conditions during the day. It may be possible to trigger loose, wet snow in steep, sunny or rocky terrain. Once moving wet snow can gather mass quickly.

Summary

Confidence

High - The weather pattern is stable

Weather Forecast

THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light from the west. Temperature +7. Freezing level 3600 m.FRIDAY: Cloudy, rain and wet flurries. Accumulation 5 cm. Ridge wind light from the west. Temperature +1. Freezing level lowering to 800 m.SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy, flurries. Accumulation up to 5 cm. Ridge wind light from the west. Temperature 0. Freezing level 900 m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed since last Wednesday when small loose wet avalanches were noted up to size 1 in steep terrain, entraining the top 15 to 20 cm of snow. However, some rather large blocks of snow were observed to topple over from the base of a steep, rocky outcrop depositing a 10 m wide debris pile across a snowshoe trail on Monday.

Snowpack Summary

A spring-like, melt-freeze crust has formed on most aspects but will likely soften by the afternoon with continued warm temperatures and high freezing levels forecasted for Thursday. In shaded areas on north aspects at upper elevations feathery, surface hoar and sugary, faceted snow may still exist. Below the snow surface, the upper snowpack is well-settled an sits on the late-November rain crust. This crust is now buried approximately 120 cm at 1300m elevation, and is up to 30 cm thick. Beneath the crust, the lower snowpack is wet to ground. Below treeline the snow pack is thin and there are many early season hazards. Snowpack depths range from 30 cm at 800 m elevation to 180 cm at 1220 m.

Valid until: Dec 14th, 2017 2:00PM