Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Dec 20th, 2023 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Storm Slabs.
isnowsell,
Avalanche Canada
Fresh snow and increasing winds are further burying a concerning layer of surface hoar.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported. There are very few field observations coming from this forecast area. Remember that a lack of avalanche reports does not necessarily mean a lack of avalanche activity.
If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
New snow continues to bury a variety of previously wind-affected surfaces.
A problematic surface hoar layer is roughly 40 to 70 cm below the surface.
The mid snowpack likely contains multiple frozen crusts, while the lower snowpack is generally faceted. Average snowpack depths at treeline range from 50 to 100 cm.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 50 to 60 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 50 to 70 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 60 to 70 km/h, treeline temperature -4 °C.
Saturday
Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 40 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -8 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
- Choose conservative terrain and watch for clues of instability.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Buried surface hoar layers will become more concerning as new snow accumulates and forms cohesive slabs above.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Storm Slabs
As new snow continues to accumulate, surface slabs will increase in size and reactivity. Deeper deposits of cohesive snow will be likely in leeward terrain features.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Dec 21st, 2023 4:00PM
