Wind effect continues to drive the avalanche danger in many areas. The safest, and best, riding may be in lower elevation terrain sheltered from the wind.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Dry with cloud building in the afternoon, 30-40 km/h southwest winds, alpine temperatures around -15 C.SUNDAY: Flurries with trace accumulations, 30-50 km/h southwest winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.MONDAY: Flurries with 5-10 cm of new snow, 40-60 km/h southwest winds, alpine temperatures around -3 C.
Avalanche Summary
Several size 1-1.5 naturally-triggered wind slabs have been reported in the Valemount area over the past few days.
Snowpack Summary
Recent new snow has been redistributed by moderate to strong southwest and more recent northerly winds in exposed upper areas. In deeper snowpack parts of the region, the mid-December facet layer lies up to 120 cm below the surface. In these areas professionals feel this layer has generally gained considerable strength. In shallower areas, particularly those in the southeast (Allen Creek), North (Sugarbowl) and likely some western areas around Quesnel and Barkerville, the snowpack is likely a lot more suspect, with a thicker, more pronounced facet layer buried only 50-60 cm below the surface. In shallow snowpack areas like those, I'd carefully investigate this interface before pushing into steeper terrain.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.