Avalanche forecast

Northwest Inland

Jan 8 – 9, 2013Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Soft storm slabs are slowly developing with daily snow falls combined with moderate shifting winds.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–5
    A deeply buried facet/crust weakness exists near the base of the snowpack. This layer could be triggered by large loads such as a cornice collapse or from a thin-spot trigger point.

Confidence

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Wednesday

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Moderate NE wind. Alpine temperature near -10. No precipitation.Thursday: Moderate NW winds. Alpine temperature near -12. Light snow.Friday: Light W wind. Alpine temperature near -9. 8-12 cm snow.

Avalanche Summary

Snowmobilers witnessed naturally-triggered slabs and loose dry sluffs in the Seaton Basin on Monday.

Snowpack Summary

New snow is building up over a weak, faceted old snow surface, which may lead to storm slab development or loose dry sluffing. In wind-affected areas, wind slabs have formed behind terrain breaks such as ridges and ribs. A strong mid-pack overlies a weak base layer of facets and the remnants of a crust. As snow builds up incrementally over these weaknesses, avalanche danger is also likely to gradually increase. Under these circumstances, it can be hard to evaluate if/when the tipping point will occur which leads to slab avalanches failing on persistent weak layers. Keep track of snow loading in your local area and adopt a cautious approach to terrain selection.

Regions covered