Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible - Likely
- Size
- 1–2
Recent winds have likely deposited new snow into deeper pockets of wind slab and overlie a crust.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapVancouver Island
Dec 14 – 15, 2023Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 3 years ago
Avalanche danger
Sat
Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
New snow and wind will create fresh wind slabs that sit on a hard crust.
Avalanche problems
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches have been reported recently.
If you are out in the backcountry please consider filling out a MIN report.
Confidence
Moderate
Snowpack Summary
By Wednesday morning, up to 20 cm of recent snow will bury a hard melt-freeze crust. Below the crust is a relatively consolidated snowpack with no significant concerns.
The snowpack is generally still very shallow with many early-season hazards and large areas of terrain below avalanche threshold. Only specific terrain features with smooth ground cover, gullies, or established avalanche paths are above the threshold for avalanches.
Weather Summary
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with 5 to 20 cm of snow, southwest alpine winds 40 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C, freezing level 900 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 cm of snow, west alpine winds 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -1 °C, freezing level 1000 m.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with 0 to 5 mm of rain, south alpine winds 50 to 80 km/h, treeline temperature 3 °C, freezing level 2300 m.
Saturday
Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine winds 40 to 50 km/h, treeline temperature 5 °C, freezing level 3000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
- Closely monitor how the new snow is bonding to the crust.
- Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.