Although the snowpack in the northern area of the Yukon Region is shallow, there is now enough snow in wind deposited terrain features to create avalanches.
Extreme cold conditions will sweep across the region this starting Friday.
The mild temperatures will help the recently formed windslabs bond to the underlying surfaces. Although isolated pockets of wind slabs may remain reactive in isolated terrain features such as steep alpine bowls and upper treeline gullies.
Going forward watch for wind slab development on southerly terrain as winds shift and temperatures plummet.
No avalanches have been reported from these areas. This is likely due to the shallow snowpack limiting riding opportunities for the time being. If you find yourself in the Wheaton Valley, Powder Valley, or Paddy Peak areas, please submit a report to the Mountain Information Network.
Overall snowpack is shallow and highly wind-affected. At treeline, there is about 30cm of snow on the ground, while at higher elevations, the snow has been scoured to the ground in exposed areas and deposited up to 100cm deep in lee features. It is in these deeper, deposited areas that avalanches are now possible.
Thursday night
Cloudy with flurries. Moderate to strong southwest winds and temperatures cooling 0 to -15 C in the alpine.
Friday
Some flurries in the morning as cold air sweeps across the region. Alpine winds will shift to northwest in the moderate to strong range. Temperatures drop to -20 C with a significant wind chill.
Saturday and Sunday
Mainly clear skies. Alpine temperatures in the -25 to -30 C range, with moderate northeast winds. Wind chill values near -45 C over the weekend.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
