Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 9th, 2014 8:26AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Storm Slabs and Loose Wet.

ccampbell, Avalanche Canada

Northwest Inland.

Snow, wind, and rain is keeping avalanche danger elevated.

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

On Wednesday expect continued light rain or wet snow with freezing levels as high as 1600 m and moderate to strong southerly alpine winds. Thursday and Friday are looking drier and cooler with light flurries and associated light to moderate southwesterly alpine wind, possible but freezing levels back to valley bottoms.

Avalanche Summary

There are no new avalanche reports from the region. Please let us know what you're seeing out there. Submit your observations through the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Light rain is saturating the upper snowpack and resulting in wet, loose, and cohesionless surface snow at lower elevations. Recent reports describe a shallow, highly variable, and wind affected snowpack with an average snow depth of 60 to 100 cm at treeline elevations. There are two distinct crusts in the snowpack; the upper crust is down 15-25cm in sheltered areas and is the current layer of concern. It's surrounded by weak faceted snow and has been giving easy test results with sudden shears and collapses. In some areas the lower crust was found just below the upper crust with weak faceted snow in between, while elsewhere the lower crust is just off the ground. The highly variable and wind-affected nature of the snowpack means that slopes on the leeward side of ridge crests and terrain breaks will have significantly deeper and more hazardous slabs overlying these weaknesses. Check out the Bulkley Valley Ski Society Facebook page for recent observations from the Hankin and Evelyn areas.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Warm and wet conditions should result in the formation of a dense storm slab and overload existing facet/crust weaknesses. Very strong southerly winds may also create deep wind slabs in Northwest-Northeast facing terrain well below ridge crests.

Use ridges or ribs to avoid wind loaded and cross loaded slopes.>Choose well supported terrain without convexities.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Loose Wet

Expect heavy loose wet sluffs in steep open terrain and in gullies. Although not expected to be large avalanches, they could knock you off your feet and have serious consequences if terrain traps are below.

Be aware of party members below you that may be exposed to your sluffs.>Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Dec 10th, 2014 2:00PM