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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 24th, 2021–Nov 25th, 2021

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

Regions

Lizard-Flathead.

Find the best riding in areas sheltered from the wind. Watch for fresh slabs in exposed terrain at treeline and above.

Confidence

Low - Uncertainty is due to the limited number of field observations.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday night: Cloudy with possible flurries. Southwest winds 35-45 km/hr. Alpine temperature low -9C. Freezing level gradually rising to 1000 m by Thursday morning.

Thursday: Flurries, up to 10 cm through the day. Southwest winds, 40-70 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -2C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.

Friday: Wet flurries and snow, 10-25 cm accumulation. Southwest winds, 20 gusting to 50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -1C. Freezing level 1500 m.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with isolated wet flurries. Southwest winds 20-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high 1C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m and rising.

Avalanche Summary

On Wednesday morning, several small (size 1) wind slabs failed in steep alpine features. Note that we have limited field observations this early in the season.

Snowpack Summary

Wind has modified 10-20 cm of recent snow into a variety of pressed surfaces. This covers a supportive mid-November rain crust.

The snowpack is drying out from the mid-November rain event, but moist snow is still found below the crust and to the ground.

Snowpack depths range from 40-70 cm at treeline elevations. Expect to find a deeper snowpack at higher elevations and in wind-loaded areas. Snowpack depths decrease rapidly below 1600 m.

Early season hazards are very real right now at all elevations, be wary of thin/shallow snowpacks, rocks, stumps, creeks, and other sharks hidden under a dusting of fresh snow.

Terrain and Travel

  • Be careful as you transition into wind affected terrain.
  • Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.

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.