Avalanche forecast

Cariboos

Nov 26 – 27, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Archived · expired 14 years ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–5
    There is a variable crust that exists in the lower snowpack. Watch for triggering on unsupported terrain at higher elevations or within start zones with smooth ground cover.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Although last week's snow has had time to gain some strength, triggering storm/wind slabs is still possible, particularly in steep, unsupported terrain.

Confidence

Poor - Due to limited field observations

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: Mostly clear skies / Moderate to strong northwesterly winds / Freezing level at 1200mWednesday: Increasing cloud throughout the day with light snowfall developing by the evening / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 1300mThursday: Moderate snowfall / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 1400m

Avalanche Summary

A size 2 sled-triggered slab avalanche occurred on Sunday in the Yanks Peak area. It was on a northwest aspect at 1900m. For more details, check-out our Incident Data Base.

Snowpack Summary

Healthy amounts of snow fell throughout last week. Although alpine wind data has been sparse, velocities in neighboring regions have been in the upper end of moderate. That said, I'd be highly curious about the possibility of windslabs in exposed areas. Although storm slab reactivity is still possible, a break in the snowfall over the last few days has most likely given the upper snowpack a chance to settle and gain some strength. There may be a thin buried surface hoar layer down about 85 cm in the alpine. As well, the November rain crust now exists over 100cm down in some locations and may exist in combination with facets. This layer has shown sudden planar test results.

Regions covered