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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 23rd, 2022–Dec 24th, 2022

Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Treeline
Natural and human triggered avalanches likely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Northwest Coastal, Kitimat, Nass, Rupert, Seven Sisters, Shames, Stewart, Howson, Ningunsaw.

Stormy weather returns, expect high precipitation amounts, warming temperatures and a rapidly rising avalanche danger.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been observed or reported in since Monday Dec 19th.

Continue to support your backcountry community and please consider submitting a MIN report, Your information sharing is vital.

Snowpack Summary

New snow and increasing southwesterly wind will begin to bury old surfaces. These surfaces are generally very hard and in places the snow has been stripped to the ground. Expect areas just below ridgetop on northerly aspects to begin to rapidly accumulate snow as strong south westerly winds are forecast to continue. In some parts of this forecast area, a crust exists on south aspects. As the temperatures have continued to remains very cold, faceted surface snow in protected lower elevation terrain is present.

A layer of large surface hoar crystals, buried in early December, is found down 20 to 50 cm. This layer has previously produced small but remotely-triggered avalanches.

The lower snowpack is well consolidated above the mid-November crust, found at treeline below 1200 m.

Weather Summary

Cold arctic air mass over the region will continue to linger just a little longer and bring to the forecast area, gusty outflow winds through the coastal inlets and cool temperatures. A series of pacific storm fronts will overwhelm this cool air and deliver in excess of 70 cm of new snow with potentials for amounts greater than 100 cm. A gradual rise in temperature and freezing level is expected Saturday into Sunday with models indicating a brief period of above freezing at 2000 meter elevation.

Friday night

Snow 20-25 cm. Southwesterly wind building to 80 km/h at ridge tops. High of -20˚C.

Saturday

Snow 10-25 cm. Southwesterly wind 60 km/h at ridge tops. High of -10˚C.

Sunday

Snow 10-30 cm. Southwesterly wind 50 km/h at ridge tops. High of 0˚C.

Monday

Snow 10-20 cm. Southwesterly wind 50 km/h at ridge tops. High of 0˚C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.
  • Seek out wind sheltered terrain below treeline where you can avoid wind slabs and find great riding.
  • Extra caution for areas experiencing rapidly warming temperatures for the first time.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.