Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 27th, 2019–Nov 28th, 2019

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Coast Inland.

High pressure and sunny skies in the forecast for the remainder of the week.

If venturing into the alpine, watch for lingering pockets of wind slab.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday Night: Sky clearing, strong northeast wind gradually easing through the night, alpine temperature -14 C.

Thursday: Clear, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine high -10 C.

Friday: Clear, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine high -6 C.

Saturday: Clear, light northeast wind, alpine high -4 C.

Avalanche Summary

We haven't received any reports of recent avalanche activity but field observations are very limited right now. Possible locations where avalanches could be triggered include near ridge tops and on slopes where the wind has deposited blowing snow. Early season avalanches can most easily propagate and run in areas where the underlying ground is smooth, such as on glaciers, rock slabs, scree slopes, or grassy slopes.

If you see anything while out in the field, please consider sharing that information with us and fellow recreationists via the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

Strong northeast winds on Wednesday may have blown around the recent snow at higher elevations. This snow overlies a hard melt-freeze crust or, at lower elevations, previously bare ground. Observations from tree line elevations in the south of the region indicate a thin snowpack, around 50 cm deep mainly comprised of recent storm snow that has been well preserved by cold temperatures. It's still early season and the snow pack remains quite thin so watch out for stumps, logs, rocks and open creeks.

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.