Lookout for fresh wind slabs sitting on a hard crust in wind affected terrain at treeline and above. Due to limited data it is CRITICAL to supplement this information with your own observations. Please post your observations to the MIN.
Summary
Confidence
Low - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Cloudy with flurries; 5-10 cm new snow in some areas / Light southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 1500 mSUNDAY: 5-15 cm new snow in the afternoon with an additional 5-10 cm overnight / Moderate to strong southwesterly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 2000 mMONDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries / Light to moderate westerly ridgetop winds / Freezing level around 1300 m
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday, no new avalanches were reported in this region. However, we currently have very limited observations in this region. Please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
A new crust was formed on Thursday as temperatures cooled and the rain soaked snow surface froze and then was covered by 5-10cm of snow at treeline and above. Wind re-distributing this new snow may have formed small wind slabs on lee features, such as below ridgetops and in gullies. The depth of the snowpack varies greatly with elevation. Recent reports suggest the average depth is 200+cm in the alpine, 100-150cm at treeline, and decreasing rapidly below treeline where the primary hazards are rocks, stumps, and open creeks. The major feature in the snowpack is a crust which was formed around November 11th and can be found approximately 100cm down at treeline elevations. However, the new surface crust will temporarily reduce the likelihood of triggering on this layer. We currently have very limited snowpack observations within this region and it is critical to supplement this information with your own observations.
jsmith,
Avalanche Canada
