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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 4th, 2024–Jan 5th, 2024

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

Regions

North Rockies, Kakwa, McGregor, Pine Pass, Renshaw, Robson.

Match terrain to conditions. Avalanches are most likely to be triggered on steep slopes at upper elevations.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported in the region, however there are currently very few field observations.

If you go out in the backcountry, please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).

Snowpack Summary

New snow with southerly winds will likely continue to form small wind slabs on lee features at upper elevations. A crust exists on or near the surface on all aspects treeline and below and on steep south aspects in the alpine.

Two layers of surface hoar can be found in the top meter of the snowpack at treeline. These layers are on our mind but are becoming less concerning.

The current snowpack has considerable variation in structure and depths across the region and is shallow for this time of year..

Weather Summary

Thursday Night

A mix of cloud and clear skies with up to 5 cm of new snow expected, southwest alpine wind 20 to 45 km/h, treeline temperature -5°C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow expected, southwest alpine wind 20 to 45 km/h, treeline temperature -4°C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of new snow expected, west alpine wind 15 to 25 km/h, treeline temperature -8°C.

Sunday

A mix of sun and cloud with trace amounts of new snow expected, south alpine wind 15 to 30 km/h, treeline temperature -10°C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Surface hoar distribution is highly variable. Avoid generalizing your observations.
  • Start with conservative lines and watch for clues of instability.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

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.