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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 28th, 2022–Jan 29th, 2022

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

Regions

South Coast Inland.

Check for wind effect before committing to a big line. Isolated pockets of wind slab around ridgelines and in extreme terrain may react to a human trigger.

Maintain good travel habits while danger is low. 

Confidence

High - We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast

Weather Forecast

Finally we see a return of an active weather pattern. Light snowfall is expected Sunday, accompanied by strong southwest winds.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Scattered cloud with moderate to strong southwest wind. Freezing levels below 1500 m.

SATURDAY: A mix of sun and cloud, with strong southwest winds. Alpine high 0, cooler in the north. Freezing levels 1500 - 1000 m. Isolated flurries possible.

SUNDAY: Cloudy with snowfall delivering up to 10 cm by Sunday evening. Freezing levels remain around 1000 m. Alpine high 0. Moderate to strong southwest winds. 

MONDAY: Flurries continues, with cloudy skies. Winds ease to moderate westerlies. Freezing levels around 500 m. Alpine high -7. 

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche activity has been reported.

Observations are limited. If you head out into the mountains, please share any observations or photos on the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

A thick melt freeze crust sits on the surface on all aspects at lower elevations. Sunny alpine slopes may have a thin melt freeze crust on the surface, from solar affect. Direct sun is reportedly softening the crusts on only on steep south facing slopes throughout the day.

Higher elevations still hold dry snow. Moderate winds have redistributed this into alpine wind slabs found on north through east facing slopes.

The early December crust/facet layer can be found around 100-150 cm deep, most prominent between 1700 and 2100 m. This layer showed no reactivity from the warming event last weekend and is currently classified as dormant. Large loads may still be able to trigger avalanches on this layer.

Terrain and Travel

  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine 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.