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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 26th, 2023–Dec 27th, 2023

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Northwest Coastal, Boundary, Stewart, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw.

Seek terrain that is sheltered from the wind for better snow and lower avalanche danger. Retreat to mellow terrain if you find signs of instability like shooting cracks or recent avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

On Tuesday, avalanche control using explosives produced a few large (size 2-2.5) avalanches within the recent storm snow, as deep as 75 cm.

On Monday, a few small to large (size 1-2.5) naturally triggered storm slab avalanches were reported. Due to poor visibility during the storm, these reports are low on details.

If you head into the backcountry please consider submitting your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Strong southerly winds are maintaining wind slabs in exposed leeward terrain. South facing slopes (windward), have likely been scoured by the strong winds. Storm totals in sheltered areas above the freezing line range from 50-100 cm.

A spotty layer of surface hoar can be found down over 100 cm in sheltered terrain features at and below treeline. The distribution of this layer is not well known, and it may be getting too deep to be triggered by the weight of a human.

A layer of facets buried at the end of November can be found near the ground. The snowpack depth varies between 200 and 300 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy. Trace of snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind, becoming light by the morning. Freezing level falls to valley bottom. Treeline temperature around -8 °C.

Wednesday

Mainly cloudy. 5 cm of snow expected, up to 10 cm in areas around Stewart. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing levels around valley bottom, treeline temperatures around -6 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy. 5-10 cm of snow expected. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level rises to 750 m. Treeline temperatures around -3 °C.

Friday

Cloudy. 10-25 cm of snow expected. Strong southeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level. rises to 1100 m. Treeline temperatures around -1 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.