Wind slabs are still reactive and can be triggered remotely.
New wind slabs are forming on the eastern and southern slopes. The wind slabs are hard, and therefore a little more difficult to trigger, but they promote good propagation. They rest on fragile layers that were already reactive in our tests.
A size 2 avalanche has been reported. The avalanche occurred on the morning of January 19 in Mines Madeleine, on an eastern slope at tree line. The avalanche was remote-triggered from the ridge. The crown was approximately 30 to 50 cm thick.
If you head into the backcountry, thanks for sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
At treeline and in the alpine, the surface snow is affected by the wind. Inside the snowpack, there's a thin layer of frost about 20 cm deep, a layer of facets at about 40 cm and a refreezing crust at 60 cm. These layers are reactive in our tests and could be triggered by a smaller surface avalanche. The average snowpack thickness varies between 90 and 120 cm.
WEATHER FOR THE CHIC-CHOCS RIDGES AND SUMMITS
Sunday evening and night: Snow. Accumulation of 2 cm. North wind 20 km/h. Low -14.
Monday: Snow, accumulation 2 to 4 cm. Wind northwest, 40 to 50 km/h. Temperature dropping to -20.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Wind west, 30 to 40 km/h. High -25.
Wednesday: Sunny. Wind northwest, 40 to 50 km/h. High -25.
For more details, see the Chic-Chocs alpine weather forecast.
