
Issued: Wed, Jan 03, 2018 at 8AM
Expires: Wed, Jan 03, 2018
Above 2,500ft High
1,500 to 2,500ft High
Below 1,500ft Moderate
Problem Details
Problem #1: Storm Snow
The last 48-hours’ new snowfall is upside-down: cold and weak underneath with a heavy cohesive slab on top. It sits atop a variable surface of crusts, hard slab, and patches of surface hoar. Bonding of this new snow will be poor and natural avalanches are likely today, especially in wind loaded areas. Moderate southeast winds have built up thick windslabs on north through west aspects, and cross-loaded terrain features/gullies on other aspects. On slopes steeper than 25 degrees, anywhere the new snow is wind-affected, expect dangerous storm slab conditions.
Problem #2: Deep Slab
We still have 2-4mm depth hoar at the ground, beneath a hard midpack. During the last storm several slides ran on this layer as a heavy load of new precipitation placed strain on it. Now that things have settled down, triggering this deep layer will be difficult, but still possible. This is especially true in thin/rocky areas which will act as trigger points, and may cause remote triggering and wide propagation. The best way to manage this danger is to stick to areas with a deeper snowpack, make sure your safe areas are well-outside the danger zone, and include a wide safety margin. Careful group management is crucial right now, as any slides that break this deep could be large, and break wider than expected.
Recent Avalanche Activity
Recent natural avalanche activity from several days ago includes:
- Isolated D1-D2 wind slabs at the top of the snowpack, on steep slopes above treeline, all aspects.
- Isolated full-depth D2-D3 hard slabs that came down during last week’s wet, wild weather. On steep slopes above treeline, all aspects.
Recent Weather
Expect near continuous precipitation through Thursday night. Snow levels will slowly drop towards sea level tonight. Total snowfall of 24-48″ is likely above the rainline, with the highest amounts in the Lutak zone.
Snow Depth [in] | Last 24-hr Snow/SWE [in] | Last 3-days Snow/SWE [in] | Today’s Freezing Level [ft] | Today’s Winds | Next 24-hr Snow/SWE | |
Mount Ripinsky @ treeline |
38″ | 12″ / 1.00 | 27″ / 2.00 | 1000 -> 0 | mod, SE | 5″/ 0.40 * |
Flower Mountain @ treeline |
39″ | 12″ / 1.00 | 21″ / 1.60 | 500 -> 0 | mod, SE | 3″ / 0.20 * |
Chilkat Pass @ 3,500ft |
27″ * | 9″ / 0.75 * | 18″ / 1.30 * | 500 -> 0 | mod, SE | 3″ / 0.20 * |
( *star means meteorological estimate )
Additional Info & Media
A few notes:
- We had an extremely dry, cold early-season. Total precipitation October 1st – November 28th was around 30% of normal. Snow depths are between 45-130cm in most areas. Variability is high due to persistent dry, windy conditions.
- Temperatures hovered around 0 – 15°F for almost all of November. This has caused faceting of the thin snowpack and built up 3-5mm depth hoar at the ground in all zones.
If you get out on the snow, send in your observations!
We will be providing an AIARE Avalanche Level 1 Class this winter in Haines, February 23-25, 2018