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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 21st, 2023–Dec 22nd, 2023

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

Regions

South Coast Inland, Spearhead, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Carefully assess conditions as you gain elevation. In wind exposed terrain above the freezing line, wind slabs are possible.

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

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported before Thursday at 4pm.

Small, naturally triggered wet loose avalanches have been observed in steep terrain over the past few days, as well as a couple small, explosive triggered storm slabs in steep alpine terrain.

If you're heading out in the backcountry, please consider sharing any observations on the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Mixed precipitation continues as the freezing level falls with moderate wind in some areas. This covers old wind slabs and crusts in the alpine, and wet surfaces at treeline and below.

At treeline and above two layers of note are buried around 30 to 70 cm deep. Both consist of a crust that tapers at higher elevations, and surface hoar in sheltered areas.

Overall, the snow depth remains shallow, with average treeline snowpack depths between 70 and 100 cm.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

Cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected above 1700 m. Light to moderate south or southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0 °C.

Friday

Cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of new snow expected. The storm will start with rain below 1500 m, but the freezing level will be at valley bottom by the end of the day. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop wind.

Saturday

Partly cloudy. No new snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high around -7 °C.

Sunday

Mostly Sunny. No new snow expected. Light south ridgetop wind. Treeline high around -4 °C, possible temperature inversion.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
  • Adjust your travel plans accordingly to the changing conditions of elevation and time of day.

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.