Avalanche forecast

Sea To Sky

Dec 12 – 13, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Expect to encounter touchy wind slabs below ridge crests, behind terrain features, and in cross-loaded gullies. Be especially diligent as northerly winds start to reverse load unusual aspects.

Confidence

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Saturday

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Cloudy with light snow starting in the afternoon, freezing levels rising as high as 500m and moderate northwesterly  winds becoming strong southwesterlies with the onset of precipitation. Friday: Snow easing throughout the day with 10-15cm total since Thursday, moderate northwesterly winds and freezing levels hovering around 500m. Saturday: Heavy snow, extreme southwesterly winds and freezing levels rising as high as 1000m.

Avalanche Summary

There have been reports of small human triggered wind slabs over the past few days. Most activity seems to be in high alpine start zones.

Snowpack Summary

Recent winds have been stiffening the low density storm snow and forming reactive slabs. Below these recent storm snow weaknesses, the snowpack is well settled and strong. A layer of surface hoar that formed during late November has been found intact or decomposing in some locations down a meter or more. The early November crust/facet combination near the base of the snowpack seems to be dormant, at least in deep snowpack areas where it is buried too deeply by a stiff snowpack to be affected by light triggers on the snow surface.

Regions covered