Avalanche forecast

South Coast

Dec 31, 2015 – Jan 1, 2016Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Happy New Year! Warm air and sun may create some touchy pockets of wind slab in the short term. Avalanche danger trending down for the weekend.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Isolated wind slabs may continue to be found in the alpine. Alpine warming may result in increased sensitivity to triggering.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Strong solar radiation and warm alpine temperatures are expected to result in loose moist or wet avalanches.

Confidence

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Weather Forecast

Clear skies and light winds throughout the forecast period. Valley temperatures between -10 overnight and -5 during the day. Alpine temperatures between 0.0 and +5.0 on Friday, and around 0.0 or slightly below freezing on Saturday and Sunday.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported. With solar radiation and warmer alpine temperatures forecast for the next few days, loose wet avalanches may occur on steep, sun-exposed slopes.

Snowpack Summary

About 10-20cm of low-density snow fell between last Saturday and Monday. In exposed, high elevation terrain, moderate winds may have shifted these accumulations into soft wind slabs in the immediate lee of ridge crests. Due to continued cool temperatures, these wind slabs may have taken more time than usual to settle and gain strength. Solar radiation has also come into play, and depending on the time of day, steep solar aspects may be moist or refrozen. Recent field reports suggest deeper snowpack weaknesses have now gained considerable strength, and the mid and lower snowpack are considered to be generally strong and well-settled.

Regions covered