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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 24th, 2022–Dec 25th, 2022

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

Regions

South Coast Inland, Birkenhead, Duffey, South Chilcotin, Stein, Taseko.

Strong wind, rising freezing levels and ongoing precipitation will keep avalanche hazard elevated.

Confidence

Low

Avalanche Summary

No notable recent avalanches have been reported, however poor weather and road closures have limited observations.

Please continue to post your observations and photos to the Mountain Information Network.

Snowpack Summary

In the last 48 hours, around 15 cm fresh snow fell with steady south-southwest wind. The new snow overlies a facetted and unconsolidated layer which formed during the recent cold weather.

The winter snowpack is not as deep as usual, and along with a cold and dry early winter, the lower snowpack consists of weak, unconsolidated facets and depth hoar crystals. Snowpack depths average 50-200 cm at treeline.

Weather Summary

Saturday Night

Flurries, 5 cm. Ridgetop low temperature -9 C. Southwest wind 25-35 km/hr.

Sunday

Flurries begin around noon, 5-10 cm by end of day. Ridgetop high temperatures -2 C. Southwest wind 20-40 km/hr. Freezing level rising towards 1500 m.

Monday

Wet flurries and snow, 10 cm overnight plus 10 cm through the day. Ridgetop high temperature 0 C. Southwest wind 20-40 km/hr. Freezing level peaking above 1800 m.

Tuesday

Flurries and snow, 10 cm. Ridgetophigh temperature -1 C. Southwest wind 30-60 km/hr. Freezing level 1500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Be especially cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
  • If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
  • The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

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.

Loose Wet

Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.