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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 9th, 2019–Dec 10th, 2019

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.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Northwest Inland.

Little change expected for several days. If you travel into alpine terrain keep in mind the potential for wind slab avalanches in steep terrain.

Confidence

High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern; little change is expected for several days.

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy, 30 km/h wind from the southwest, alpine temperature inversion breaks down overnight with freezing level dropping back to valley bottom.

TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy, 20-40 km/h wind from the southwest, alpine high temperatures around -4 C.

WEDNESDAY: Flurries with trace accumulations of snow, 30-50 km/h wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.

THURSDAY: Scattered flurries with up to 5 cm of snow in western parts of the region and trace accumulations further inland, 30-50 km/h wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -6 C.

Avalanche Summary

Recent MIN reports suggest there has been minimal avalanche activity over the past week.

Snowpack Summary

MIN reports from the weekend describe extensive wind affect at higher elevations, while softer snow can be found in sheltered terrain. Warm inversion temperatures have likely left a thin surface crust in the alpine. Recent wind from the southwest and north has left hard wind slabs near ridgetops and lee terrain. In isolated areas, these small slabs may be sitting on a mix of sugary faceted snow or feathery surface hoar crystals, which could make them reactive to human triggering. Snowpack depths are 50-100 cm in alpine areas around Smithers, with depths diminishing rapidly below 1500 m.

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.