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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 14th, 2024–Jan 15th, 2024

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

Regions

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

Wind slabs can be found on all aspects from variable winds, be cautious moving into wind-affected terrain.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Looking ahead, 5 to 15 cm of snow will fall with moderate north winds which could form fresh, reactive wind slabs on lee slopes.

The arctic front on Wednesday resulted in a cycle of natural wind slab avalanches, up to 45 cm deep. These wind slabs on south aspects could remain reactive to human triggering.

Snowpack Summary

5 to 15 cm of new snow falls on mostly firm, wind-affected surfaces. In a few sheltered areas, soft snow was reported to remain. This new snow comes initially with strong southwest and then moderate north winds, so new wind slabs may form on a variety of aspects.

A layer of surface hoar that formed on Christmas Eve may be found 50 cm deep, but recent observations suggest it has bonded.

Weather Summary

Sunday Night

Cloudy with flurries, up to 5 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 50 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature -12 ºC.

Monday

Cloudy with up to 10 cm of snow, north alpine winds 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -15 ºC.

Tuesday

Partly cloudy with no new snow, northeast alpine winds 60 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature -16 ºC.

Wednesday

Cloudy with flurries, trace snow accumulations, north alpine winds 60 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature -16 ºC.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.

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.