Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Dec 12 – 13, 2015Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 11 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

This bulletin was produced using very few field observations. If you've been out in the mountains, please share your observations on our Mountain Information Network.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Recently formed wind slabs may exist at higher elevations. Watch for triggering in the lee of ridge crests and in gullies.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    A weak layer of surface hoar may be buried in the upper snowpack, although reports indicate it is spotty in its distribution across the region. Where it exists, I suspect that it may be at a critical depth for human triggered avalanches.

Confidence

Low - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

On Sunday, expect mainly cloudy skies and light northwest winds. By late Monday and Tuesday, the region could see up to 10cm of new snow and strong southwest winds. The freezing level should hover around valley bottom for the entire forecast period.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported from the region.

Snowpack Summary

As much as 60cms of settled snow may now sit on a layer of buried surface hoar, although I'm unsure of the layer's reactivity and spatial distribution. I'd dig down and test for this potentially weak layer before committing to any steep lines, especially on sheltered north facing slopes at tree-line and just below. Recently formed wind slabs are reported to exist at alpine elevations.Lower below tree-line elevations may still be below threshold for avalanches.

Regions covered