Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Haines Pass, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West, Yukon.
New snow and southerly winds will likely build wind slabs on northern aspects in the alpine.
Be cautious on Leeward features where fresh wind slabs are forming.
Confidence
Moderate
Avalanche Summary
No avalanche activity has been reported in recent days. If you do observe an avalanche, please share your observations on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
Wind has redistributed recent snow, forming pressed surfaces and wind slabs in open terrain while leaving 15-25 cm of settled snow in sheltered areas. Wind slabs may be more predominant on the east side of White Pass where the wind hit harder. A melt-freeze crust covers most solar slopes.
A buried surface hoar or crust layer, 40 to 60 cm deep, is variable in distribution. A December crust with facets, 100 to 150 cm deep on all aspects up to 1750 m, has shown no significant test results.
Snow depth ranges from 100 cm at highway elevations to over 300 cm in the alpine.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 50 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Monday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy with up to 5 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
- Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
- Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.
Avalanche Problems
Cornices
As temperatures rise, large cornice falls will become a concern. They can potentially trigger slabs on the slopes below.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 3
Wind Slabs
Watch for reactive wind slabs forming on northern aspects.
Aspects: North, North East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 1.5