Recent test results show that wind slabs are still sensitive to human triggering. Cold temperatures significantly slow snowpack stabilization.
With moderate winds and snow available for transport, wind slabs continue to form. Cold temperatures are slowing down the stabilization of the snowpack. These wind slabs, which are sometimes hard, are more difficult to trigger, but they encourage propagation in the event of breakage. They rest on fragile layers that proved reactive in our tests.
No new avalanches reported or observed
If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
At treeline and in the alpine, surface snow is strongly affected by wind, resulting in great variability in its distribution.
In wind-protected areas, the average depth of snow cover varies between 90 and 120 cm. Within this blanket, we find:
A thin layer of frost at a depth of around 20 cm.
A layer of facetted grains approximately 40 cm deep.
A melt-freeze crust at 60 cm.
WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND SUMMITS
Temperatures will remain cold until the weekend.
Wednesday evening and night: Partly cloudy. Wind west, 20 to 40 km/h. Low -22.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Wind west, 20 to 40 km/h. High -17.
Friday: Sunny. Wind northwest, 25 to 50 km/h. High -15.
Saturday: Sunny. Wind northwest, 15 to 30 km/h. High -12.
For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
