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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 28th, 2023–Jan 29th, 2023

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

Regions

Yukon, Tutshi, Wheaton, White Pass East, White Pass West.

Be wary of wind-loaded, steep, northeasterly alpine terrain, where buried surface hoar may linger.

Check out this MIN report from the Avalanche Canada field team on Friday.

Confidence

High

Avalanche Summary

On Friday, the Avalanche Canada field team remote triggered a large, wind slab avalanche on a Northeast, alpine slope. Check out more details and photos in their Mountain Information Network report. A few similarly sized natural avalanches were observed on nearby slopes of similar aspect and elevation.

Snowpack Summary

In alpine terrain, recent winds have created a variety of wind-affected surfaces. Wind slabs remain in steep, lee terrain features and may be burying isolated pockets of preserved surface hoar. The surface hoar is reported to be roughly 50 to 80 cm down from the surface. Below roughly 1700 m a widespread, melt-freeze crust is present, with moist snow below.

Weather Summary

Saturday night

Clear, with no precipitation. Light northwesterly alpine winds, with stronger outflows in valleys. Treeline temperatures -15 to -20 C.

Sunday

Sunny, with no precipitation. Light southwest alpine winds, with light outflows in valleys. Treeline temperatures -10 to -20 C with potential for a temperature inversion.

Monday

Cloudy, with flurries, 0 to 2 cm. Light to moderate westerly alpine winds. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C.

Tuesday

Cloudy, with flurries, 0 to 2 cm. Light southwest alpine winds. Treeline temperatures -5 to -10 C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
  • Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.

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.