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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 11th, 2020–Mar 13th, 2020

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

Yukon.

Recent new snow has been redistributed by light to moderate south then strong north winds. The new snow is now obscuring previous widespread wind effect. Wind slabs continue to be the main concern.

Confidence

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

Weather Forecast

WEDNESDAY Night: Mainly clear. Light to moderate north wind. Alpine temperature around -21. 

THURSDAY: Sunny. Light to moderate north wind. Alpine temperature around -19.

FRIDAY: Sunny. Moderate to strong north wind. Alpine temperature around -13.

SATURDAY: Mainly sunny. Light northwest wind. Alpine temperature around -5.

Avalanche Summary

There are no new reports of avalanche activity over the past few days.

Snowpack Summary

Tuesday night saw about 10-15 cm of new snow combined with another 5-15 cm of new snow that fell on Monday and has been redistributed by light southerly winds switching to strong from the north. Expect to see widespread wind effect from the latest north winds. This snow now obscures widespread wind effect from last week's extreme wind event. There may be lingering and buried wind slabs in areas we traditionally think of as sheltered.

At White Pass the snowpack is roughly 200 cm thick with a strong mid and lower snowpack. Thin snowpack areas further inland may have a shallower snowpack composed of sugary faceted grains. Lower elevations may have a melt freeze crust near the surface.

Terrain and Travel

  • Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.
  • Avoid freshly wind loaded features, especially near ridge crests, roll-overs and in steep terrain.
  • Watch for areas of hard wind slab on alpine features.
  • Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.
  • Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn't been wind-affected.

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.