Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Dec 12th, 2017 4:11PM

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

jmcbride, Avalanche Canada

With spring-like conditions continuing to dominate the region, be aware of changing snow conditions during the day and from one aspect to another. Once the crust melts there may be areas of wet snow on steep, sunny slopes or near rocky outcrops.

Summary

Confidence

High - The weather pattern is stable

Weather Forecast

WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light from the northeast. Temperature +5. Freezing level rising to 3500 m.THURSDAY: Mainly cloudy. Ridge wind light from the southwest. Temperature +5. Freezing level 3500 m.FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light to moderate from the west. Temperature -1. Freezing level 1000 m.

Avalanche Summary

There have been no reports of avalanche activity since last week when numerous small to large loose wet avalanches up to size 2 were observed on solar aspects. Also a small natural wind slab avalanche in steep terrain on a northerly aspect in the alpine on Saturday. Warming and cloud cover on Sunday produced pinwheeling and snowballing on all aspects.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures have created a spring-like, melt-freeze cycle on all aspects with the overnight crust becoming moist in the afternoon on sun exposed slopes. On north aspects the surface crust is 1-2 cm thick with dry, sugary snow crystals (facets) below. Beneath the surface crust the upper snowpack is well settled and overlies a thin layer of facets above the late-November rain crust. Recent snowpack test have found hard, sudden compression test results on the facets just above the crust, which is now buried between 60-100 cm at treeline elevations. Beneath this crust the lower snowpack is well settled and consists of several crusts that formed in the early season.

Valid until: Dec 13th, 2017 2:00PM