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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 12th, 2022–Dec 13th, 2022

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

Regions

White Pass East, White Pass West.

It's going to get rowdy out there. New snow and wind will rapidly form reactive Wind Slabs. Avoid wind affected terrain features and pay attention to the snow beneath your feet or track and be ready to back off quickly if you feel or see signs of instability.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported over the weekend.

Avalanche professionals traveling the South Klondike highway corridor on Monday reported observing active cross-loading and wind slab deposition at higher elevations.

Snowpack Summary

As the storm builds and the new snow and south winds arrive, expect to see wind slabs developing rapidly on all lee features at treeline and above.

A faceting crust is found down 20-50 cm on solar aspects but has not been reactive in tests. The lower snowpack consists of soft, sugary facets and a crust near ground level.

Up to 100 cm of snow can be found in the alpine however winds have made distribution variable. Treeline snow depth averages 80 cm. Early-season hazards exist at treeline and below such as rocks, stumps, and open creeks.

Weather Summary

Monday night

10-15cm of new snow overnight. Temperatures at -5˚C. Winds from the southwest at 30km/h gusting to 50km/h

Tuesday

Blizzard-like conditions. 5-10cm of new snow. Temperatures steady near -5˚C through the day. Winds from the southwest at 30km/h gusting to 70km/h in White Pass. 

Wednesday

5cm of new snow. Temperatures ranging from -10˚C to -5˚C. Winds from the southwest 15km/h

Thursday

5cm of new snow. Temperatures ranging from -10˚C to -5˚C. Winds from the southwest 20km/h

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Wind slabs are most reactive during their formation.
  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Stay off recently wind loaded slopes until they have had a chance to stabilize.

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.