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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 24th, 2024–Dec 25th, 2024

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

Regions

Kootenay Boundary, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, Ymir, Kokanee, Valhalla, Whatshan.

Wind and storm slab development will continue with new snow and wind.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A few natural, skier, and explosive-triggered surface slab avalanches were reported over the weekend. These avalanches were generally no deeper than 20 cm and up to size 1.5.

No new avalanches have been reported since the weekend.

Snowpack Summary

Another round of fresh snow has provided a surface refresh in many areas. Southwest winds continue redistributing recent snow, forming deeper deposits on leeward slopes at higher elevations. A crust is present at or just below the surface at lower elevations, with moist snow likely near the valley bottom where recent precipitation fell as rain.

The upper snowpack continues to settle and bond well following significant accumulation over the last two weeks.

A potential weak layer of surface hoar or facets, along with a crust, persists in the mid-snowpack, and snowpack tests continue to indicate potential instability.

The lower snowpack is generally strong and well-bonded.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy. 10 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Wednesday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 10 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Pay attention to the wind; once it starts to blow, sensitive wind slabs are likely to form.
  • Approach steep and open slopes at and below treeline cautiously, as buried surface hoar may exist.
  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.