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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 13th, 2019–Dec 14th, 2019

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

Regions

Northwest Coastal.

A clear and dry weather pattern is forecast for the weekend.

Confidence

No Rating -

Weather Forecast

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mainly cloudy, light wind from the west, alpine high temperatures around -4 C.

SATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light wind from the northwest, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.

SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light wind from the northwest, alpine high temperatures around -8 C.

MONDAY: Mainly cloud with flurries, moderate to strong wind from the southwest, alpine temperature around -4 C.

Avalanche Summary

A few small wind slab avalanches (size 1) were reported on Thursday morning. Looking ahead, the main concern is new slabs forming above the recently buried surface hoar crystals as the recent new snow settles.

Snowpack Summary

Recent snow has buried a concerning layer of surface hoar that formed in areas sheltered from the wind. 15-30 cm of fresh snow may now be sitting above this layer. As more snow accumulates expect to see it form very reactive slabs. Reports suggest this layer can be found on all aspects up to treeline elevations. In the alpine, the new snow is burying hard wind slabs and/or sun crusts on south-facing terrain. The lower snowpack is generally considered strong, as there has been very little to report in terms of recent avalanche activity or snowpack test results on deeper layers. Snowpack depths at treeline range from 100-150 cm and taper quickly at lower elevations.

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.