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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 13th, 2020–Jan 15th, 2020

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.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon.

Outflow winds continue this week. There is uncertainty on the distribution and sensitivity of wind slabs. If you venture out in the frigid conditions, best to look for soft snow in sheltered terrain.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Clear skies, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine temperature -25 C.

TUESDAY: Clear skies, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine temperature -25 C.

WEDNESDAY: Clear skies, moderate northeast wind, alpine temperature -22 C.

THURSDAY: Clear skies, strong northeast wind, alpine temperature -22 C.

Avalanche Summary

There have been no reports of avalanche activity in the past few days.

Snowpack Summary

Strong northeast wind has prevailed since late last week, stripping away snow in exposed terrain and depositing it in lee terrain features. Isolated wind slabs may still be found.

Snow depths at White Pass average around 150 cm; deeper locations (higher terrain west of the highway) have as much as 200 cm. It's reasonable to expect a thin snowpack with sugary facets in the Wheaton Valley, although we don't yet have observations to confirm this.

Terrain and Travel

  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
  • Be aware of highly variable recent wind loading patterns.

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.