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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 14th, 2022–Feb 15th, 2022

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, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Below Threshold.

Regions

Yukon.

Lingering wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggers on lee features in the alpine.

Whumpfing, cracking, and hollow sounds are all signs of instability that should cause you to back off into lower angle or less wind-loaded terrain.

Confidence

Moderate - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Increasing cloudiness / Extreme, west wind / Low of -11.

TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud / Strong, northwest wind / High of -5.

WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with flurries; 3-5 cm / Strong, west wind / High of -3.

THURSDAY: Snow; 5-10 cm / Strong, west wind / High of -3.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Sunday. However, we have had no field observations since Saturday.

On Friday, our field team reported significant cracking on features that had recently been loaded by the wind.

 Whumpfing, cracking, and hollow sounds are all signs of instability that should cause you to back off into lower angle or less wind-loaded terrain.

Snowpack Summary

10-15 cm of recent snow has been hammered by strong southwest winds. Expect wind-affected surfaces on all but the most sheltered north aspects. 

Wind slabs are likely present on lee features at all elevations and may remain reactive to human triggers.

This overlies a hard crust that extends up to at least 1200 m on solar aspects. Below this, the mid-pack is generally well-settled and strong in most areas.

Weak facets (sugary snow) exist at the base of the snowpack, especially in more shallow snowpack areas such as the Inland areas.

Terrain and Travel

  • Look for signs of instability: whumphing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, and recent avalanches.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.

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.