The amount of snow expected between now and Monday afternoon remains uncertain. Test the reactivity of the new snow when travelling through terrain.
Winds are expected to change direction starting Sunday evening, blowing from the northwest. With snow forecasted from Sunday night through Monday afternoon, new wind slabs are expected to form on south-facing slopes. Be wary of overlapping wind slabs on certain slopes.
We received a report of an avalanche that occurred on Saturday. The group triggered a wind slab up to 1 m thick in the upper part of a northeast-facing couloir in the Mines Madeleine sector. The avalanche reportedly slid down to below treeline, carrying surface snow with it.
If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
The snow forecasted on Sunday night into Monday (approximately 10 to 15 cm) should be redistributed on south-facing slopes due to strong northwesterly winds. Most slopes have been heavily affected by the winds of the last few days. Snow cover is highly variable, ranging from completely bare areas to heavily loaded areas.
In sheltered areas, there is 30 to 40 cm of snow of varying density on the surface. Facets lie on top of the December 20 melt freeze crust, which is between 30 and 50 cm deep.
The average snowpack depth at mid-mountain ranges from 50 to 110 cm.
WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND PEAKS
A weather system from Texas will move south of the region on Sunday, bringing snow to the Chic-Chocs, with precipitation intensifying overnight until Monday.
Sunday evening and night: Snow up to 10 cm. Northeast winds, 20 to 40 km/h. Low -10.
Monday: Snow ending in the afternoon. Accumulation of 5 to 10 cm. Winds from the northwest at 40 to 60 km/h. High -10.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Accumulation 1 to 2 cm. Winds from the southwest at 30 to 50 km/h. Low -6.
Wednesday: Intermittent snow. Accumulation 1 to 2 cm. Wind from the southwest, 20 to 40 km/h. Low -1.
For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
