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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 27th, 2022–Jan 28th, 2022

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 possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Sea To Sky.

A stable weather pattern has allowed danger ratings to fall. Continue to practice good travel habits and verify conditions as you travel. Isolated wind slabs may still be found at higher elevations. Head to sheltered terrain at higher elevations for the best snow. 

Confidence

High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern with little change expected.

Weather Forecast

The high pressure begins to break down Friday with an active system bringing light to moderate snowfall over the weekend.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Valley cloud with clear skies above. Moderate southwest winds, freezing levels around 2500 m with an inversion present. 

FRIDAY: Scattered cloud begins to build, moderate to strong southwest winds. Freezing levels fall below 1500 m over the day. Alpine high of +1. 

SATURDAY: A mix of sun and cloud, with moderate southwest winds. Freezing levels below 1500 m. Alpine high of -2. Scattered flurries possible. 

SUNDAY: Snowfall begins Saturday evening, delivering 10-30cm by Sunday evening. Freezing levels remain around 1000 m. Light to moderate southwest winds. Alpine high of -3. 

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday.

Explosive control work near Whistler on Tuesday produced a cornice fall that triggered a size 2.5 deep persistent slab on the weak facetted crystals above the early December crust. The slab was triggered mid slope, 60-130cm deep. This indicates that while the weak layer is unlikely to be affected by skiers and riders, it is still triggerable by very large loads. 

Snowpack Summary

A thick melt freeze crust sits on the surface on all aspects up to 2300 m. Sunny alpine slopes may have a thin melt freeze crust on the surface, from solar affect. Direct sun is reportedly softening the crusts only on steep south facing slopes throughout the day.

High alpine elevations still hold pockets of dry snow. Moderate winds have redistributed this into wind slabs mostly found on north through east facing slopes, however recent wind directions have varied so expect loading on all aspects around ridge line.

The early December crust/facet layer can be found around 100-200 cm deep, most prominent between 1700 and 2100 m. In shallow features it may sit only 60cm below the surface. This layer showed no reactivity from the warming event on the weekend and is currently classified as dormant. Large loads may still be able to trigger avalanches on this layer, especially in terrain where the snowpack thins. 

Terrain and Travel

  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.
  • Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
  • Cornices become weak with daytime heating or solar exposure.

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.