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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 28th, 2023–Mar 29th, 2023

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

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

Watch for lingering wind slabs on steep or unsupported slopes in the alpine. Although triggering slabs on deeply buried weak layers is unlikely under the current conditions, we'll be avoiding rocky start zones and thick to thin transitions for the remainder of the season.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday, sledders triggered several small (size 1) wind slabs while high marking on southwest facing slopes and gullies in the alpine.

A natural loose wet avalanche cycle up to size 2 occurred on steep south aspects around treeline on Friday.

If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

Haines Pass: 5-10 cm of recent snow sits over a thick rain crust below 1300m. At upper elevations, 50 cm of recent snow has been redistributed by wind.

Yukon: Extensively wind affected surfaces predominate alpine and exposed treeline terrain. In wind-sheltered areas at White Pass you may find up to 30 cm of soft snow. Sun crusts on steep solar aspects are most prominent at treeline, and may extend into the low alpine.

The mid snowpack is generally well consolidated and strong. A weak layer of surface hoar/crust/facets buried in early January is now over 1 m deep in most areas, and has not produced avalanche activity for several weeks.

The lower snowpack consists of basal facets, particularly in thin snowpack areas.

Weather Summary

Tuesday night

Clear. Light wind. Alpine low -10 °C.

Wednesday

A mix of sun and cloud. Light to moderate northerly wind. Alpine high -6 °C.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy. Moderate southerly wind. Alpine high -8 °C.

Friday

5-10 cm of new snow. Moderate southeast wind. Alpine high -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be careful with wind slabs, especially in steep, unsupported and/or convex terrain features.
  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.

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.