Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 14th, 2023–Apr 15th, 2023

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains, Littoral, Murdochville.

A melt/freeze cycle is expected Saturday, producing classic spring-time corn snow. Morning travels will be sketchy on icy surfaces, but should improve as the day progresses. Adjust your travel plans accordingly to the change of elevation and time of day.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche was reported or observed in the last 24 hours. Old evidence of small loose wet avalanches (size 1) was observed on steep southwest-facing slopes at Mines Madeleine. Thanks for contributing to the collection of this valuable data by sharing it with other users on the Mountain Information Network or by writing to us directly at [email protected].

Snowpack Summary

A melt/freeze cycle occurred on Thursday night above 500 m of elevation. Icy surfaces (with a supportive crust up to 5 cm) are found on all alpine slopes, except perhaps the steep south-facing slopes. At treeline, conditions were classic corn snow with soft surfaces. Below treeline, the warm weather of the last 3 days and lack of significant refreeze at night is keeping the snow wet and making conditions rather sticky and slow (mashed potatoes snow). Melting is happening fast and the height of snow varies from 50 cm (valley) to 130 cm (mid-mountain).

Weather Summary

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits.

Synopsis: A high-pressure ridge will keep supporting sunny skies and warming temperatures until Tuesday.

Friday evening and night: Clear. No precipitation. Moderate northwest wind at 35 km/h. Alpine low of -6 C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Saturday: Sunny with cloudy periods. No precipitation. Light southwest at 20 km/h. Alpine high of +2 C. Freezing level rises to 1250 m.

Sunday: Sunny with cloudy periods. No precipitation. Light southwest wind at 25 km/h. Alpine high of +6 C. Freezing level steady at 2500 m.

Monday: Cloudy with sunny periods. No precipitation. Light southwest wind at 25 km/h. Alpine high of +8 C. Freezing level rises to 3000 m.

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

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
When a thick, melt-freeze surface crust is present, avalanche activity is unlikely.
The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.