Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 18th, 2013 8:46AM

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

ghelgeson, Avalanche Canada

Northwest Inland.

Forecasters are working with limited amounts of field data at this early part of the season. If you are traveling in the backcountry and have information, we'd love to hear about it.forecaster@avalanche.ca

Summary

Confidence

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Synopsis: The pattern switches to a NW flow for the forecast period. Lots of wind and a trace of snow for the next few days.Thursday: Freezing Level: Valley Bottom Precip: Trace Wind: Mod gusting Extreme, W/NWFriday: Freezing Level: 900m Precip: Nil Wind: Mod gusting Extreme, NW Saturday: Freezing Level: 600m Precip: Trace Wind: Light, NW.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported. This likely speaks more to the lack of observations than actual conditions.

Snowpack Summary

Reports from the area are quite sparse. There is significant variation in snow depths across the region. In the Smithers area, reports suggest snow depths of 70-90cm at treeline.The northern portion of the region received more snow (upwards of 20cm) than the south (Smithers area) which received 10 to 20 cm overnight. In areas that received significant new snow amounts, the snow is settling into a storm slab, accelerated by the recent warm temperatures. Very strong winds are transporting snow into deep pockets of cohesive, wind pressed snow. Cold temperatures at the beginning of December created near surface facetted snow and surface hoar above old wind and melt-freeze crusts. The new warmer storm snow is not expected to bond well to these old buried layers which range from 20-40cm below the surface. The mid and lower snowpack is weak, composed of facets, depth hoar and an early season crust near the base of the snowpack.If you have been out, we would love to hear about it. Please send your observations to forecaster@avalanche.ca.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Continued small amounts of precipitation have been accompanied by high winds, making for tricky situations in areas where the wind may have deposited dense wind packed snow.

Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>Be careful with wind loaded pockets in open terrain.>Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 3

Valid until: Dec 19th, 2013 2:00PM