Avalanche forecast

South Coast

Jan 21 – 22, 2014Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

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

Avalanche problems

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    4–7
    Two weaknesses have the potential to surprise folks: Surface Hoar around 60 cm below the surface and very weak basal facets near the ground.  Vigilant slope by slope evaluation and/or a modest terrain approach are appropriate at this time.

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Synopsis: The ridge continues to dominate the weather pattern. No snow for the foreseeable future on the South Coast.Wednesday: Freezing Level: 1500m; Precip: Nil; Wind: Light, VariableThursday: Freezing Level: 3200m Precip: Nil Wind: Light, NorthFriday: Freezing Level: 3000m Precip: Nil Wind: Light, NE

Avalanche Summary

No significant avalanche observations from the last three days with the exception of Sunday when a couple of loose avalanches released naturally from extreme SW facing terrain.

Snowpack Summary

Unseasonably warm daytime temperatures have left the snow surface in rough shape. A crust can be found on steep solar aspects to ridge top and on all aspects below 1600m. The crust can break down during the heat of the day when subjected to still air and direct sun. Previous winds have scoured windward slopes and sculpted sastrugi in exposed areas. The upper 30 cm of the snowpack is settling nicely, but two layers of Surface Hoar down around 60 cm continue to give sudden planar shears in test profiles. There are two lower layers of note near the base of the snowpack. A facet/crust combo from late November (down approximately 100-120 cm) is still giving "sudden" results in compression tests and exists at treeline and alpine elevations. Facets and depth hoar still exist at the base of the snowpack, and are especially robust in alpine features where there was a shallow early season snowpack. This problem has been most widely reported from the Duffey Lake and Chilcotin areas.

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