Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 16th, 2018 4:27PM
The alpine rating is Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeSummary
Confidence
Low - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY Night: Rain 5-10mm, snow above 1300m, accumulation 5-10 cm. Alpine temperature -4. Moderate south wind. Freezing level 1300 mMONDAY: Rain showers or flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm. Alpine temperature -2. Light to moderate southwest wind. Freezing level 1400 mTUESDAY: Snow, accumulation 10-20 cm. Alpine temperature -1. Moderate to strong southwest wind. Freezing level 1500 m.WEDNESDAY: Flurries, accumulation 5cm. Alpine temperature -3. Light south wind. Freezing level 1200 m
Avalanche Summary
Explosive control work along the Duffey Lake road on Friday produced avalanches up to size 2.5 running on the weak layer of facets buried 60 to 80 cm below the surface. A remotely triggered size 1.5 avalanche in the Coquihalla Summit backcountry suggests this same layer is a concern there.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 1 m of new snow fell since the storm pattern started last Sunday. Strong southerly winds distributed new snow into variable wind slabs in exposed locations. A crust at or near the surface likely exists up to approximately 1700 m.Below the recent storm snow lies a weak layer, comprising 20-30 cm of low density faceted snow. Initially, the snow did not bond well to this layer. While it's likely gaining strength, field observations show that slab avalanches remain possible on this layer.Near the base of the snowpack, a crust exists that previously had sugary facets. This could potentially still be of concern in high north facing areas in drier parts of the region. Elsewhere, this layer is no longer a concern.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 17th, 2018 2:00PM