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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 23rd, 2022–Dec 24th, 2022

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

Regions

Northwest Inland, Kispiox, Microwave-Sinclair, Ningunsaw, South Bulkley, South Bulkley, Telkwa.

Stormy weather returns, increasing wind and snowfall will increase the danger rating at all elevations.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

Avalanche Canada field teams ski cutting on Friday afternoon produced a few small (size 1 ) avalanches on a north aspect convex roll feature at 1600 meters. These avalanches failed on the old hard surfaces and encompassed up to 25cm of the recent storm snow.

Continue to support your backcountry community and please consider submitting a MIN report, Your information sharing is vital.

Snowpack Summary

Expected up to 25cm over Saturday and Sunday that will begin to cover the upper elevations surfaces that have been exposed to sustained strong to extreme north wind. These surfaces are generally very hard and in many places the snow has been stripped to the ground. In sheltered areas at treeline, surfaces have been faceting and becoming unconsolidated at the surface. In the upper snowpack at this elevation a layer of surface hoar crystals can be found down 20 to 30 cm and has not been an active layer of concern.

Generally, the snowpack is shallow and highly variable in terms of depth, with the mid and lower snowpack presenting as settled and dense.

Weather Summary

A cold arctic air mass over the region will continue to bring to the forecast area. gusty outflow winds and extremely cold temperatures. A series of weather systems are expected to deliver up to 25 cm of new snow over the weekend. A rise in temperature and freezing level is excepted with ridgetop temperatures rising to -10˚C.

Friday night

Overcast sky, Snow 1-5cm. Southwesterly wind building to 80 km/h. Temperatures steady around -18˚C.

Saturday

Snow 5-10 cm. Southwest wind 50 to 80 km/h at ridge tops. High of -12˚C.

Sunday

Snow 1-5 cm. Southwest wind 60 to 80 km/h at ridge tops. High of -6˚C.

Monday

Snow trace amounts. Southwest wind 60 km/h at ridge tops. High of -6˚C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
  • Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
  • The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.

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.