Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 19th, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Wet.
cgarritty,
Avalanche Canada
Keep your caution up around wind slabs you'd normally expect to have stabilized by now. A layer of weak snow has given some slabs an unusually long life.
Summary
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
A skier accidentally triggered an small (size 1) wind slab avalanche on Friday on Mt. Joan in the Beaufort Range. Check out this MIN for full details. It is a good reminder that a problematic layer exists below some wind slab formations that has kept them surprisingly sensitive to triggering.
Snowpack Summary
Around 2-8 cm of recent snow has fallen at upper elevations and likely redistributed by southeast winds.
This snow sits on a variety of surfaces, including crust on sun-exposed slopes, old wind slabs, and up to 20 cm of old, soft, faceted snow in sheltered northerly terrain. In isolated areas, wind slabs may be more reactive where they overlie facets and surface hoar.
The mid and lower pack contains deteriorating old crusts and storm layers that are now for the most part dense, homogenous, and moist.
Below treeline, most areas are below the threshold for forming avalanches.
Check out this latest MIN for more info
Weather Summary
Monday night
Cloudy with isolated flurries. 10-15 km/h southeast alpine wind. Freezing level remaining near 1700 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with wet flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow to the alpine. Light rain below about 1500 m, continuing overnight. 15 - 30 km/h southwest alpine wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C with freezing level to 1600 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with wet flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow to higher elevations, light rain below about 1300 m, easing overnight. 30 - 40 km/h southeast alpine wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C with freezing level to 1400 m.
Thusday
Cloudy with 36-hour snow totals of up to 20 cm in the alpine, tapering rapidly at lower elevations. 15 - 20 km/h southeast alpine wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C with freezing level around 1400 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.
- Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Old wind slabs have stayed remarkably reactive where they overlie facets or especially surface hoar sitting on the hard late-January crust.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Wet
Light rain below about 1500 m will promote wet avalanche conditions in steep terrain at mid elevations.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 20th, 2024 4:00PM
