Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 12th, 2025–Mar 13th, 2025

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

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains.

The new wind slabs rest on a crust, and the bond between them is not always optimal.

It is important to carefully test and assess the slope before venturing onto it.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches observed or reported.

If you are out in the backcountry, please share your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

A layer of 10 cm of fresh snow fell in the mountains from Tuesday night to Wednesday. Currently, in wind-protected areas, there is between 20 and 30 cm of recent snow on top of the crust. Below the tree line, this crust is sometimes brittle, but it can support the weight of a person in alpine terrain and at the tree line.

In general, the west-facing slopes, both in alpine areas and at the tree line, are bare or covered with a crust. The fresh snow has been deposited on top of this crust, mainly on the lee slopes to the east. However, strong winds have caused significant spatial variability, with snow densities and wind slabs exhibiting very diverse characteristics.

The snowpack depth varies between 100 cm and 200 cm.

Weather Summary

WEATHER FOR THE CRESTS AND SUMMITS OF CHIC-CHOCS

Sunny and mild weather in the mountains on Thursday.

Wednesday evening and night: Clear. Northwest wind at 15 to 30 km/h becoming light. Minimum -22 °C.

Thursday: Sunny. Southwest wind at 20 to 40 km/h in the afternoon. Maximum -9 °C.

Friday: Alternating sun and clouds. West wind at 30 to 50 km/h. Maximum -1 °C. Freezing level at 680m.

Saturday: Cloudy. Possible snow showers, 5 to 7 cm. Southwest wind at 30 to 50 km/h. Maximum -3 °C.

For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Keep in mind a buried crust offers an excellent bed surface for avalanches.

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.