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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 17th, 2012–Dec 18th, 2012

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

Regions

Sea To Sky.

Confidence

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Wednesday

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: Light SW winds. Alpine temp -12. A few cm snow.Wednesday: Strong S winds. Alpine temp -8. Heavy snow (~40 cm).Thursday: Light to moderate S winds. Alpine temp -9. Moderate to heavy snow (~30 cm).

Avalanche Summary

Recent activity has been limited to a few small (size 1-1.5) soft slab avalanches in immediate lee features and small loose snow avalanches in steep terrain.

Snowpack Summary

New snow depths are highly variable and decrease as you go inland. 40-80 cm of recent storm snow overlies a thin layer of surface hoar in some areas. Wind slabs are buried on many exposed slopes in the alpine and near treeline from previous winds. New wind slabs are likely to form as low density snow will be easily shifted by forecast strong southerly winds. The mid-pack is well settled and strong.A layer of surface hoar that formed during late November has been found intact or decomposing in some locations down a metre or more. The early November crust/facet combination near the base of the snowpack seems to be dormant. Triggering one of these persistent weak layers from a shallow snowpack area remains possible.

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.

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.