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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 19th, 2021–Dec 20th, 2021

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

Regions

Cariboos.

Continue to make conservative decisions as the storm snow settles and we learn more about how the early December layer has responded to the new load.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Sunday night: some light flurries with light Northwest winds. Low of -22 at 1600m.

MONDAY: no new snow expected. Light Northwest winds becoming strong in the afternoon. High of -18 at 1600m.

TUESDAY: Increasing cloudiness with flurries; 3-5 cm / Strong west wind / High of -15 at 1600m.

Wednesday: Up too 30cm of new snow with moderate Southwest wind. High of -15 at 1600m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed over the weekend.

If you are out in the mountains please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.

Snowpack Summary

Up too 20cm of recent new snow has been redistributed by Southwest winds. This has likely created wind slab on North and East facing features. As the wind shifts to the Northwest reverse loading is possible.

The prominent layer within the snow pack is the early December facet/crust combo. This layer generally exists below 1800m and is most concerning in the area west of Blue River.

Another crust layer near the bottom of the snowpack has not produced any recent avalanches but may be possible to trigger by hitting a shallow spot in the snowpack on a large alpine feature.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a persistent slab.
  • Avoid shallow snowpack areas, rock outcroppings and steep convex terrain where triggering is most likely.
  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.

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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.