For the holidays, we wish you joy, good times with your loved ones and lots of surprises!
The mountain takes care of the surprises, pay special attention to isolated features with greater amounts of snow.
Wind slabs of highly variable depths have developed on isolated features on northwest to east slopes due to sustained winds. Human intervention triggers are possible on wind loaded and cross loaded features. Lack of snow in the area may give you very little information and no signs of instability. However, if you see areas where accumulations appear to be greater, re-evaluate your route.
No new avalanche activity has been observed or reported.
Please continue to share your observations at [email protected], or with the Mountain Information Network. It helps strengthen our data gathering.
The December 23rd storm left 25-35 mm of precipitation in all forms: rain, sleet, snow. Below 650 m, 3-5 cm of low density snow overlie a crust formed by the December 23 refreeze cycle and rain. Above 650 m, the accumulations resulting from this weather bomb are highly variable. Sheltered slopes, have seen great accumulation of heavy snow. The alpine, exposed to the strong to extreme winds of the recent weather events, is generally back to crust or even bare ground. However, significant amounts of storm and windblown snow can be found in isolated areas on the N to E side.The average snowpack height is still very thin, averaging around 25 cm in the valley to 65 cm at mid-mountain.Despite the fresh snow supply, snow conditions remain hazardous. Crust and obstacles such as rocks, stumps, trees and trunks can still be found barely buried under this white blanket.
Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits. An unstable westerly flow will persist early in the week, with light snow showers, leaving from 2 to 5 cm by Wednesday. Southwest winds are expected and temperatures will remain cold, keeping the freezing level at valley bottom.
Sunday night and overnight: Light snow showers. Southwest winds from 15 to 25 km/h. Low -10C. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Monday: Mostly cloudy. Light isolated snow showers. Southwest winds up to 40 kph. High -14C.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Light snow showers. Southwest winds around 25 km/h, gusting up to 50 km/h. High -15C.
Wednesday: Cloudy. Isolated flurries. Westerly winds from 30 to 40 kph. High -14C.
For more details, check out the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
