Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Inland
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches observed. If you're out in the mountains and see recent avalanches please snap a photo and submit your information to the Mountain Information Network.
MIN at HE: Sc small slabs on wind loaded pockets
now new in Babines
Snowpack Summary
Relatively light recent snow amounts have been accompanied by westerly and northwesterly winds. 20-ish cm below the surface, a highly variable weak layer exists. It comprises of facets in cold areas, crusts on solar aspects, and in protected areas below 1500 m, feathery surface hoar. In most places, insufficient snow has fallen above this layer for it to be reactive, but it should be considered in deep snow areas, or where the wind has blown additional snow over the top of it.
Two crusts, which formed near the end of November, are found approximately 30 to 50 cm below the surface. These crusts are widespread and extend into the alpine. Previous snowpack tests produced hard results on these crusts, but we have not seen any recent information about their sensitivity to triggering. Below these crusts, a well settled mid-pack overlies the late October crust which is down near the ground. The October crust is widespread and has not been reactive to human triggering since the end of November.
Average snowpack depths in the region are between 80 and 140 cm at treeline.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY: Dry and sunny, winds moderate from the east, treeline temperatures around -12 C.
SUNDAY: Dry with some sun and cloud, winds moderate from the southeast, treeline temperatures around -12 C.
MONDAY: Dry with some sun and cloud, winds moderate from the northwest, treeline temperatures around -14 C.
HE: s-x outflow winds, reverse loading, heavy scouring, 10cm HN, thin but touchy slabs above dec pwl
Babines: L NE outflow winds, ~10cm of fresh pow
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Wind slabs are most likely to be found immediately lee of ridge crests in exposed terrain. While relatively small, they could be problematic in complex terrain.