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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 20th, 2023–Dec 21st, 2023

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

Regions

South Coast, Garibaldi, Powell River, Tantalus, North Shore, Sasquatch, Sasquatch, Sky Pilot, Tetrahedron, Harrison-Fraser.

Carefully assess conditions as you gain elevation. Where precipitation fell as snow, storm slabs are possible.

At low elevations, you'll find a wet and compacted snowpack.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported in this region.

If you do head into the backcountry please consider submitting observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Light, mixed precipitation continues. In terrain where more than 20 cm of storm snow has accumulated, small storm slabs may avalanche under the weight of a human. At treeline and below precipitation is likely to fall as rain, keeping the snow surface moist.

The mid and lower snowpack is made up of a series of crusts and rounded grains. The snowpack is generally well consolidated.

Overall, the snow depth remains shallow, creating challenging travel conditions and hiding early season hazards just below the snow surface.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Cloudy. Light rain expected, snow above 1500 m. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0°C.

Thursday

Cloudy. Light rain expected, 5-10 cm snow above 1500 m. Areas around Powell River may get moderate rain or 20 cm of snow. Moderate south or southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0°C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy. 20-30 cm of new snow expected above 1000 m. Strong southwest ridgetop wind overnight, becoming moderate northwest through the day. Treeline temperature around -2 °C.

Saturday

Partly cloudy. No new snow expected. Light west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5 °C. Freezing level around 500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Be cautious of buried obstacles especially below treeline.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.