Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 6th, 2014 8:03AM

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

Peter, Avalanche Canada

Northwest Inland.

We might hang on for one more cool day before warm and wet weather invades early next week.

Summary

Confidence

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Sunday: Cloudy with a chance of flurries in the afternoon. The freezing level should stay near valley bottom. Winds remain moderate from the S-SE. Monday: Cloudy with flurries. The freezing level should stay near valley bottom. Winds increase to strong from the S-SE. Tuesday: Periods of rain or snow. The freezing level climbs to 1800-2000 m and winds increase to very strong or extreme from the S-SW.

Avalanche Summary

There are no new avalanche reports from the region. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Email us at forecaster@avalanche.ca.

Snowpack Summary

Recent reports describe a shallow, highly variable, and wind affected snowpack with an average snow depth of 60 to 100 cm. A dusting of new snow may be covering a mix of surface hoar, sugary facets, wind slab, or a crust depending on elevation and aspect. In some places a crust might be buried 20-40 cm deep, while in wind-exposed areas it could still be on the surface. Deeper in the snowpack you may find another rain crust (with facets above or below) that formed earlier in the season. There's not much recent info on the strength of these crust interfaces.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Strong southerly winds should continue to build dense and touchy wind slabs in open leeward terrain.

Avoid convexities or roll overs in wind-affected terrain where triggering a wind slab may be more likely. >Use ridges or ribs to avoid wind loaded and cross loaded slopes.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 3

Valid until: Dec 7th, 2014 2:00PM