Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 31st, 2024–Feb 1st, 2024

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

Start with small slopes, and watch for signs of instability like shooting cracks as you move into wind-exposed terrain.

Be cautious as you gather information after this warm, stormy period.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday.

Looking forward to Thursday, we expect that human-triggered avalanches will be likely anywhere that wind has redistributed dry snow into thicker, more reactive slabs, potentially over a hard, slippery crust. North and east-facing features are currently the most likely to be wind-loaded.

Snowpack Summary

Strong southerly alpine winds have likely formed reactive slabs at treeline and above on north and east-facing terrain.

Storm snow totals around 35-50 cm by the end of the day Tuesday, with uncertain freezing levels in White Pass.

Freezing levels were up to 1700 m over the weekend (possibly only 1200 m in White Pass). In the Wheaton area on Tuesday, our field team found a strong surface crust up to 1200 m.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy. 2-5 cm of snow expected. Light to moderate northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -15°C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. 1-3 cm of snow expected. Light southeast ridgetop wind, switching to southwest by the afternoon. Treeline low around -20 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, possibly clearing in the afternoon. Trace of snow expected. Light west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -25 °C.

Saturday

Partly cloudy. No new snow expected. Moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -25 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Expect slab conditions to change drastically as you move into wind exposed terrain.
Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.
When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.

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.