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Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Dec 21st, 2022–Dec 22nd, 2022
Alpine
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate
Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low
Below Treeline
1: Low
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low
Alpine
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate
Below Treeline
2: Moderate
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be moderate
Alpine
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable
Treeline
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be considerable
Below Treeline
3: Considerable
The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be considerable

Regions: Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, South Coast Inland, Stein, Taseko.

The snowpack is generally weak, facetted, and lacks cohesion. Assess for surface instabilities that have the potential to step down to deeper weak layers.

Check out the most recent Forecasters' Blog, discussing how to manage extreme cold conditions.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity has been reported over the last few days.

If you head out into the mountains, please share your photos or observations on the Mountain Information Network. Your information helps us understand local conditions!

Snowpack Summary

Generally, the snowpack is unusually shallow and has a layer deep in the snowpack made up of weak facets and depth hoar. At lower elevations and shallower areas, the snowpack remains mostly unconsolidated.

The height of snow is roughly 50 to 200 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Cold arctic air continues to blanket Southwest BC until Thursday night when a warm and wet storm begins to move inland.

Wednesday night

Clear. Temperatures around -25 C and light northeast winds in the alpine.

Thursday

Sunny with building clouds, and no precipitation. Temperatures -15 to -25 C and light easterly winds.

Friday

Cloudy with snow, up to 10 cm. Temperatures of -5 to -15 C, and moderate southwest winds.

Saturday

Cloudy with snow. Up to 20 cm. Temperatures around -5 C and strong south winds in the alpine.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • If triggered, loose dry avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
  • Use careful route-finding and stick to moderate slope angles with low consequences.

Avalanche Problems

Deep Persistent Slabs

Much of the lower snowpack is made up of weak, unconsolidated facets and depth hoar crystals. Steer clear of large slopes with a cohesive slab on the surface, likely created by previous wind loading. Any small avalanche or sluff in steep terrain has the potential to step down to this deeper layer, resulting in a large avalanche.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size: 1.5 - 3