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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 8th, 2018–Dec 9th, 2018

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

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Finally some snow in the forecast! Watch for wind slabs forming near ridge crests, roll-overs, and in steep terrain.

Confidence

Low - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy, moderate wind out of the south, alpine temperatures drop to -8 C.SUNDAY: Light snowfall with 5-10 cm accumulations, strong wind out of the south, freezing level climbing to 700 m with alpine high temperatures around -4 C.MONDAY: Light flurries with trace accumulations, strong wind out of the southwest, alpine high temperatures around -5 C.TUESDAY: 10-20 cm of snow, strong to extreme wind out of the southwest, freezing level climbing to 1000 m.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported. However, we currently have very limited observations. If you have been out, please submit any observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

New snow will gradually accumulate as a series of storms bring snow to the region this week. The combination of new snow and strong winds out of the south will form thicker wind deposits at higher elevations. The new snow will likely bond poorly to the feathery surface hoar crystals and soft sugary snow that have been sitting on the surface for the past week (see this MIN report).A hard crust has been reported 10-20 cm below the surface, and in some locations there is an early season crust with facets near the bottom of the snowpack.Expect an average snow depth of 60-120 cm in the alpine. This decreases dramatically with elevation where the primary hazards are rocks, stumps, and open creeks.

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.