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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 24th, 2024–Dec 25th, 2024

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

South Okanagan, Shuswap, North Okanagan.

Assess steep lines for wind affected snow, reactivity may linger in small pockets.

Sheltered terrain will hold the best riding conditions.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Limited avalanche activity has been reported over the last 3 days. Reactivity may continue in specific wind affected terrain, while the expected size remains small.

Snowpack Summary

Alpine terrain is heavily wind-affected, while sheltered areas have settling snow from recent storms.

A mix of weak layers exist below, with facets, surface hoar, and crusts present. Neighbouring regions have reported avalanches on this layer, but no observations suggest it is an issue in this region. Additionally, mild temperatures may help the snowpack to gain strength.

Treeline snow depths vary from 50-120 cm.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night

Clearing skies. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Freezing levels drop to 500 m.

Wednesday

Clear start with increasing afternoon cloud. Possible afternoon flurries. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow, favouring the north of the region. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow, favouring the Kelowna area. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and continually assess conditions as you travel.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.