Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 2nd, 2024 4:00PM
The alpine rating is , the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems include Wind Slabs.
bchristie,
Avalanche Canada
Retreat to mellower terrain if you see signs of instability like cracking around your skis, feet, or sled.
Small, reactive wind slabs may not be sticking well to a hard layer underneath.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
This MIN post has lots of great info on conditions east of Pemberton on Monday, including a small (size 1), human triggered avalanche below a ridgetop at 2100 m.
Saturday night, a few large (size 2) naturally triggered avalanches also occurred in this general area, with new snow sliding on a hard crust.
If you head into the backcountry, please consider submitting observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of settling snow may sit over a thin, frozen crust up to 2000 m.
Underneath, a mix of soft snow and heavily wind-affected snow overlies a thick crust and, in some sheltered areas, surface hoar. Professionals are still concerned about the reactivity of this layer, especially near thin and shallow rocky features.
Overall, the snow depth remains shallow, with average treeline snowpack depths between 80 and 120 cm.
Weather Summary
Tuesday Night
Cloudy. Isolated flurries/very light rain. Light south or southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C. Freezing level around 1000 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy. No new snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -2 °C, freezing level rising to around 1500 m.
Thursday
Cloudy. Light snow expected above 750 m. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -4 °C.
Friday
Mostly cloudy. Light snow expected down to valley bottom. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -7 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Investigate the bond of the recent snow
- Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Lingering wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggering above 2000 m where the crust near the surface is thin/breakable or absent. There is a potential for wide propagation as slabs may rest on a hard crust.
Aspects: North, North East, East, West, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 3rd, 2024 4:00PM
