Snowpack stability is expected to deteriorate on Friday with the incoming snowfall and strong northwest winds. Wind slabs sensitive to skier and snowboarder traffic will form near ridgelines. Avoid wind-loaded slopes.
New wind slabs could form on Friday with the new snowfall and strong to extreme northwest winds. Human-triggered avalanches are possible. We could encounter small, localized avalanches (size 1) as well as large avalanches (size 2) in isolated areas.
Small, loose wet avalanches were observed on Thursday on 40-degree slopes below 600 m in elevation.
If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Strong winds have created highly variable conditions in the alpine and near treeline, with everything from scoured areas to hard wind slabs, wind-packed snow, and more recent, softer slabs.
We could receive 10 to 20 cm of new snow by Friday evening. This snowfall will add to the 30 to 40 cm of low-density snow from the last storm earlier this week. Below 600 m in elevation, the new snow will likely rest on a recent melt-freeze crust that formed on Thursday.
The December 20 crust is now located 70 to 110 cm below the surface and is in a degrading phase. The faceted grains above this crust are rounding due to warmer temperatures and are becoming less reactive in stability tests. This layer appears to be gradually strengthening.
The average snowpack depth at mid-elevation is approximately 120 cm.
WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND PEAKS
A low-pressure system originating from Pennsylvania will bring 10 to 20 cm of snow by Friday evening.
Thursday evening and overnight: Intermittent snow, 2 cm of accumulation. Southwest winds at 10–20 km/h. Low of −10 °C.
Friday: Snow, 5 to 10 cm of accumulation. Northwest winds at 40–60 km/h. Temperatures falling to −14 °C by the afternoon.
Saturday: Sunny. Northwest winds at 50–70 km/h. High of −12 °C.
Sunday: Cloudy. Southwest winds at 10–30 km/h. High of −8 °C. Freezing level around 300 m.
For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
