Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 6th, 2024–Dec 7th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

Wind and rain have ravaged the region.

If you travel to the alpine in search of soft snow, be cautious in wind-loaded areas. Recently formed wind slabs may be deep and reactive.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

A natural avalanche cycle occurred in the past few days as rain and warm temperatures infiltrated the region. See this MIN for more details.

As temperatures cool, this large natural avalanche activity will subside. Riders should shift their focus to the potential for recently formed wind slabs to be reactive to rider-triggering at upper elevations.

Please consider sharing your observations through the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Above 1500 m, new snow has been redistributed by strong southwest winds. Deposits of wind slab as well as heavily wind-affected surfaces exist. At lower elevations, the upper snowpack is moist and we expect the surface to freeze into a solid crust. 

The remainder of the snowpack is dry, with small faceted crystals to ground. 

Snow depths vary significantly, averaging around 70 to 130 cm at White Pass.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Cloudy with up to 2 cm of new snow. 5 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature drops to -6 °C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud. 5 to 15 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. 30 to 45 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Monday

Cloudy with light flurries. 50 to 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid freshly wind-loaded features, especially near ridge crests, rollovers, and in steep terrain.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.
  • A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.

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.