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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 25th, 2023–Nov 26th, 2023

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

Regions

Northwest Coastal, Stewart, Ningunsaw, Ningunsaw.

Assess conditions as you go, it is early season, so field observations are limited.

A weak layer of snow near the bottom of the snowpack means there is the potential for large avalanches.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

Last week's storm produced some large natural avalanches. Avalanche activity has tapered since the storm. No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days.

Observations are very limited at this time of year. If you do head out, do so with a cautious and investigative mindset, and consider submitting a MIN report.

Snowpack Summary

Warm temperatures and rain at lower elevations have made for moist and heavy snow on the surface.

Observations are limited, but a problematic crust/facet combination exists near the base of the snowpack and above 1500m in the Bear Pass and Ningunsaw area (likely elsewhere too). With total snowpack depths around 150 cm at 1000m, this layer is a concern for human triggering, particularly in shallow or variable depth snowpack areas in the alpine.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Mostly cloudy with light flurries, west alpine wind 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -1°C.

Sunday

Partly cloudy with a chance of light flurries, southwest alpine wind 30 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -2°C.

Monday

Cloudy with 10-15cm accumulation, southwest alpine wind 60 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature -3°C.

Tuesday

Mostly clear with no precipitation, southwest alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -9°C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
  • Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.

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.

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.