Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 1st, 2016 8:10AM

The alpine rating is low, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Loose Wet.

triley, Avalanche Canada

Sea To Sky.

Mild alpine temperatures and clear skies will result in low avalanche danger at all elevations this weekend.

Summary

Confidence

High

Weather Forecast

Clear skies with warm air in the alpine on Saturday. Inversion continuing on Sunday, but not as strong as Saturday. Cloud and southeast wind building Sunday evening. 5-10 cm of new snow by Monday morning with the freezing level at around 1000 metres.

Avalanche Summary

Solar induced loose snow avalanches have released naturally up to size 1.5 in may areas, and one south aspect size 2.0 avalanche was reported from the Wedge on Thursday. Explosives control late in the day on Thursday, released some "sizeable chunks" of cornice that propagated the storm snow on the slope below; size not reported. Some skier controlled pockets of wind slab 20-40 cm deep and up to size 1.0 were also reported on Thursday in the Whistler area.

Snowpack Summary

A new layer of surface hoar and near surface facetting has developed, and we will need to track it's distribution before the next snow arrives. The last few days of clear skies, solar radiation, and warm air trapped at higher elevations has settled the recent storm snow. Southerly aspects have seen enough sun and warmth to release loose moist or wet avalanches in steep terrain, and new melt-freeze crusts may have formed overnight when the temperatures dropped below freezing. Some wind transported snow continues to form thin wind slabs on various aspects.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Thin wind slabs are most likely on south aspects in the alpine, but may be on other aspects due to changing wind directions.

Stay off recent wind loaded areas until the slope has had a chance to stabilize.>Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Loose Wet

Loose wet avalanches may continue on Saturday if warm air remains trapped in the alpine.

Be alert to conditions that change with aspect, elevation and time of day.>Watch for clues, like sluffing off of cliffs, that the snowpack is warming up. >

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 2nd, 2016 2:00PM