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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 16th, 2023–Dec 17th, 2023

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

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains.

A low rating does not mean that there is no avalanche danger. Make sure to assess for wind slabs in the start zones and on cross loaded features before comitting to your line.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Early season, observations are limited. Thanks for sharing your observation through the Mountain Information Network if you head out.

No new avalanches have been observed or reported. Please share your observations at [email protected] or via the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

In the alpine and on exposed features, the winds have created a variety of different surfaces (hard slabs, sastrugis, crust or pressed snow). Start zones, depressions and cross-loaded features are showing greater accumulations. On the December 11 crust, a layer of facets showed signs of instability in areas where the snowpack is shallower.

In protected areas and below the treeline, 10 to 20 cm of low-density snow covers the December 11th layer, while the November 28th layer was buried under 20 to 40 cm of snow. Overall, the height of the snow varies from 30 to 90 cm, depending on altitude and aspect.

Weather Summary

Synopsis: The ridge of high pressure will persist for most of the day tomorrow, while an inversion will bring temperatures around zero Celsius to the peaks.

Saturday evening and night: Generally clear. No precipitation. Winds from 45 to 50 km/h switching to the southwest. Min. -5C. Freezing level at valley bottom.

Sunday: Mix of sun and cloud. Rain could start late afternoon. Southwest winds of 70 to 80 km/h. Inversion, it will be warmer at higher elevation. Maximum 1C. Freezing level increases to 2000m during the day.

Monday: Cloudy. Rainy. South winds around 70 km/h with gusting up to 100 km/h. 5C.

Tuesday: Cloudy. Rainy. Southwest winds around 50 km/h with gusting up to 100 km/h.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.

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.