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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 4th, 2024–Jan 5th, 2024

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

Regions

Esplanade, North Selkirk.

Use extra caution in steep, rocky terrain at upper elevations where avalanches are most likely to be triggered.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No significant avalanches have been reported in the region in the past few days. Sluffing in steep terrain has been reported throughout the region.

If you are out in the backcountry please consider filling out a MIN report.

Snowpack Summary

A variety of surfaces can be found in the alpine including wind pressed surfaces and a crust on steep south facing slopes. 5 to 10 mm surface hoar exists just below the surface on sheltered terrain.

A layer of surface hoar down roughly 60 to 100 cm remains problematic despite a lack of recent signs of reactivity. A hard crust above this layer is likely protecting it from human-triggering below 2000 m.

Weak basal facets characterize the bottom of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

A mix of cloud and clear skies with up to 5 cm of new snow expected, southwest alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -10°C.

Friday

A mix of sun and cloud with a few centimeters of new snow expected, southwest alpine wind 15 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -8°C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud with around 5 cm of new snow expected, west alpine wind 15 to 35 km/h, treeline temperature -8°C.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud with trace amounts of new snow expected, south alpine wind 15 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -12°C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Keep in mind that human triggering potential persists as natural avalanching tapers off.
  • Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices at this time.
  • Be carefull around freshly wind loaded features.

Problems

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.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.

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.