Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Apr 16th, 2023–Apr 17th, 2023

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Alpine

Below Threshold.

Treeline

Below Threshold.

Below Treeline

Below Threshold.

Regions

Chic-Choc Mountains, Littoral, Murdochville.

No overnight refreeze Sunday means a continuous weakening of the snowpack.

At this time of year, conditions are changing rapidly, and our observations are limited, please share your observations via the Mountain Information Network at the following address: https://www.avalanche.ca/fr/mountain-information-network/submit.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche was reported or observed in the last 24 hours. Thanks for contributing to the collection of this valuable data by sharing it with other users on the Mountain Information Network or by writing to us directly at [email protected].

Snowpack Summary

Forecasted temperatures, above 0C at higher elevations, means a pause in the spring diurnal cycle and increasingly wet snow on the surface. Polar slopes, which have been less impacted by the sun in the last few days, could offer more of the coarse salt condition that we are looking for in the spring, while polar slopes should slowly move towards soaked, sticky, slow moving snow. (Mashed potato snow). At and below treeline, thawing has been rapid on all slopes. The snowpack is saturated with water and the snow conditions are rather sticky and slow. With no overnight recovery, the snowpack will become progressively more fragile, wetter and cohesive. Melting is fast, and the snowpack varies from 50 cm (valley) to 130 cm (mid-mountain).

Weather Summary

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits.

Synopsis: The Chic-Chocs will be under the influence of a quasi-stationary low over the Great Lakes for the next few days, bringing mild temperatures and rain.

Sunday evening and night: Increasing clouds. No precipitation. Light winds from the south quadrants. Min. +1C. Freezing level rising to 3000m. Temperature inversion.

Monday: Mostly cloudy. A few millimetres of rain in late pm. Winds from 30-40 km/h from the south. Max +4 C. Freezing level rising to 3200 m.

Tuesday: Up to 10 mm of rain. Strong south winds at 50 km/h. Max. +2 C.

Wednesday: Rain with possibility of snow. Winds from 30 to 40 km/h from the southwest. Max. 0C.

For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Cornices

Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.