Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 18th, 2023 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs.
isnowsell,
Avalanche Canada
A problematic layer of buried surface hoar exists at an optimal depth for human triggering.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported since the stormier weather over the weekend. However, reports of whumpfing and shooting cracks have been common throughout the field observations.
If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
20-40 cm of recent snow continues to settle over old, hard surfaces, like wind slabs or a frozen crust.
A concerning layer of surface hoar can be found 50-90 cm below the snow surface.
A crust with sugary facets beneath it can be found just above the ground. Average snowpack depths at treeline range from 65 to 100 cm.
Weather Summary
Monday Night
Cloudy with trace amounts of snow, south alpine winds 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.
Tuesday
Cloudy with trace amounts of snow, southwest alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 20 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 10 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 20 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.
- Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
- If you are increasing your exposure to avalanche terrain, do it gradually as you gather information.
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Buried surface hoar remains concerningly reactive in snowpack tests. It is difficult to define the specific terrain where you could trigger this layer, due to a lack of snowpack and avalanche observations.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 19th, 2023 4:00PM
