Avalanche forecast

North Columbia

Dec 23 – 24, 2022Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 4 years ago

Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Stormy weather returns, bringing uncertainty with how the weak snowpack will react to warmer air and more snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Pockets of wind slab may form near ridgelines from new snow and southwest wind.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    Two weak layers are buried at a prime depth for human triggering within the top metre of the snowpack. Most avalanches to date have released between 1700 and 2200 m. The likelihood of triggering these layers may increase in the coming days as warmer and stormier weather returns.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A few small natural and rider-triggered wind slab avalanches released on Wednesday, generally on north to east aspects in the alpine.

The latest persistent slab activity occurred December 18. The buried weak layers described in the Snowpack Summary could become touchy again with warmer weather and new snow that is forecast for the coming days.

Snowpack Summary

Snow, strong wind, and a warming trend will start to form new wind slabs in lee terrain features in wind-exposed terrain. Around 20 cm of snow overlies a widespread weak layer of surface hoar crystals and a melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes.

Two problematic layers exist around 40 and 70 cm deep, consisting of surface hoar, faceted grains, and/or a melt-freeze crust. Avalanches have been most prominent between 1700 and 2200 m on all aspects. Read our forecaster blog for managing a persistent slab problem.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Increasing clouds with early-morning snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, 20 km/h south wind, treeline temperature -22 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 5 to 10 cm, 20 to 40 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperatures -17 °C.

Saturday

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 20 cm, 30 to 60 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperatures -8 °C.

Sunday

Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 5 to 15 cm, 20 to 40 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperatures -5 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
  • Keep in mind that human triggering potential persists as natural avalanching tapers off.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.

Regions covered