Chic-Choc Mountains

Travel will continue to be difficult on steep terrain because the rain crust is not yet buried deep enough.

No new avalanches have been observed or reported.

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The 10 cm of snow received since the slight thaw at the beginning of the week covers the rain crust of January 18 which can be very thick (up to 9 cm) in some areas! This snow was moved by moderate northwest winds on Thursday and northeast winds on Friday. The soft wind slabs up to 20 cm thick that formed at the treeline seem to us to have little reaction. As for those in the alpine, since we have no recent observations, we can only assume that they are thicker. Below the tree line, the new snow greatly reduces the feeling of skiing on glass.

Needless to say, travel in the alpine and on steep terrain is still perilous. With the snowpack still thin and many obstacles not yet covered, a slip on these icy surfaces could be disastrous. Spatial variability is important, from rock to ice to areas of greater accumulation. Generally speaking, the thickness of the snow cover varies from 50 to 100 cm depending on the sector and the altitude.

Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits.

Friday evening and night: Cloudy. Traces of snow. Wind northeast 20 to 40 km/h. Low -14.

Saturday: Sunny. Wind northwest 10 to 20 km/h. High -9.

Sunday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Wind southwest 10 to 20 km/h. Traces of snow. High -10.

Monday: Cloudy. 5 cm of snow. Light wind variable direction. High -7.

For more details check the Alpine Weather Forecast.

• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.