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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 28th, 2022–Dec 29th, 2022

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

Chic-Choc Mountains.

Wednesday did not see the winds predicted in the forecast. Some snow is still available for transport, and could form small wind slabs on Thursday. Watch for pockets of snow and hollow sounds.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity has been observed or reported.

Please continue to share your observations at [email protected], or with the Mountain Information Network. It helps strengthen our data gathering.

Snowpack Summary

At lower elevations, 5 to 10 cm of low density snow covers Dec 23rd Melt freeze crust, which does not quite support the weight of a skier. As we gain altitude, the crust fades in some places to a slightly denser snow interface, covered by 10 to 20 cm of low density snow. The alpine, exposed to the strong to extreme winds of recent weather events, is generally back to the crust or even bare ground. However, pockets of greater accumulation are found on most aspects, in the alpine and at the treeline.

The average height of the snowpack is still very thin, from about 35 cm at valley bottom to 80 cm - mid-mountains, and extremely variable from place to place.

Despite the fresh snow, the snow cover remains low, especially at lower altitudes. You will have to work a bit to reach the snowier areas, which are, for the moment, below the tree line, at higher altitude.

Weather Summary

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits. The lifting of a warm front late Thursday will bring a few centimetres of snow. Then, a low pressure system will bring some precipitations early in the weekend, but the approach of a warm air mass will cause temperatures to fluctuate around the freezing point, making it very difficult to predict exactly what form the precipitations will take at this time.

Wednesday evening and night: Cloudy. Trace of snow. Northwest winds around 30 km/h. Min -15C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow starting late pm. Wind from the west around 15 km/h, turning to the south by midday. Max -15C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Friday: Cloudy. Light precipitation beginning in the evening, a mix of snow, rain and freezing rain is expected. South winds around 30 km/h. Temperatures between -5C and 0C.

Saturday: Cloudy. No precipitation. Wind from the west at 55 km/h. Max 6C.

For more details, check out the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.

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.