Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 14th, 2021 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
TRettie,
Avalanche Canada
Avoid wind loaded features especially in areas where snowpack depths vary and a persistent weak layer is present.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate -
Weather Forecast
Tuesday night: light alpine winds from the west with some light flurries. Low of -9 at 1600m.
Wednesday: Trace amounts of new snow with moderate Southwest winds. High of -7 at 1600m.
Thursday: Up to 5cm of new snow with a high of -7 at 1600m. Winds becoming strong from the Northwest.
Friday: no new snow expected. Moderate winds from the Northwest shifting to the Southwest. High of -11 at 1600m.
Avalanche Summary
Several skier triggered and natural wind slabs up to size 2 were observed in the region on Monday. These avalanches were in the upper treeline and alpine elevation and on North and East aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Up too 20cm of recent new snow has formed wind slab in isolated features in exposed treeline and alpine terrain.Â
The defining feature of the snowpack is a prominent and widespread crust that reaches as high as 2400 m in the alpine and now sits 40-80 cm below the surface. In many places, overlying snow is well-bonded to the crust but in others weak faceted grains have been observed growing above it.
Average snowpack depth at treeline is 200cm.
Terrain and Travel
- Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- In areas where deep persistent slabs may exist, avoid shallow or variable depth snowpacks and unsupported terrain features.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Isolated wind slab can still be found in exposed treeline and alpine features.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
40-70 cm of snow sits over a weak layer on a thick crust. While only a handful of avalanches have been reported to have run on this layer, they have been large. Avalanches on this layer may be triggered by humans or vehicles from thin spots or by large loads like wind slab avalanches.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 15th, 2021 4:00PM
