Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely - Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Moderate to strong winds on Tuesday have formed wind slabs on a wide range of aspects at higher elevations.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapLizard-Flathead
Dec 12 – 13, 2017Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 9 years ago
Avalanche danger
Thu
Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
Isolated wind slabs may be found at upper elevations. Good quality riding can be found on sheltered, shady slopes.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Alpine temperatures near -6 and freezing levels at valley bottom. Ridgetop winds light from the west.Thursday: Cloudy with alpine temperatures near -8 . Ridgetop winds light from the west. Friday: Cloudy with sunny periods and possible flurries. Alpine temperatures near -5 and light-moderate ridgetop winds from the southwest.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed on Tuesday.Please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.
Snowpack Summary
A variety of snow surfaces exist throughout the region. Stiff wind slabs sit on a wide range of aspects on alpine and exposed treeline slopes. In sheltered treeline and below treeline terrain, I suspect light amounts of low-density snow intermingle with surface hoar and surface facets (sugary snow).Roughly 30-60 cm below the surface you'll likely find a hard crust that was buried near the end of November. This crust is approximately 30 cm thick and extends from 1600 m to mountain top on all aspects. Below this crust, the snowpack is moist to ground. Average snowpack depths at treeline elevations in the region range from 80-120 cm.