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Avalanche bulletin
Issued around 6 pm every day from December 1 to April 30
Brought to you by
Date issued
Sunday 05 February 2023, 17 H 00
Valid until
Monday 06 February 2023, 18 H 00
Prepared by
jpgagnon
The best snow is definitely below treeline. Higher up, the wind has hardened or even made the snow disappear.
Danger ratings
Problems
Details
Monday
Alpine
Treeline
Below Treeline
Moderate
Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.
Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.
Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.
Moderate
Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern.
Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.
Small avalanches in specific areas; or large avalanches in isolated areas.
Low
Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.
Natural and human-triggered avalanches unlikely.
Small avalanches in isolated areas or extreme terrain.
Tuesday
| Alpine | Moderate |
| Treeline | Moderate |
| Below Treeline | Low |
Wednesday
| Alpine | Moderate |
| Treeline | Moderate |
| Below Treeline | Low |
Travel advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Avalanche problem 1 : Wind Slab
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Significant new wind slabs can be found on leeward slopes and in cross loaded locations of the alpine and treeline. They rest on a fragile layer that seems to offer a good potential for propagation.
Avalanche problem 2 : Persistent Slab
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
With the cold temperatures, facetted grains developed on and under the January 18 ice crust. We have been getting regular test results showing avalanche triggering potential for the past few days. As with any persistent slab problem, the problem is very sporadic, almost isolated and the spatial variability is significant. It is therefore possible to test a few meters away and get a completely different results on this crust. The probabilities of triggering are low, but the consequences could be very unfortunate. The problem seems to be a little more important at the treeline, where the snowpack is thinner, near natural obstacles, such as trees or rocks.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche was reported since last Thursday.
Thanks for contributing to the collection of this valuable data by sharing with other users on the Mountain Information Network or by writing to us directly at bulletin@avalanchequebec.ca.
Snowpack Summary
With the extreme westerly wind that blew for 2 days, much of the available snow was moved into the alpine and treeline forming new wind slabs. As a result, a great deal of spatial variability is present in windy areas, from wind slabs to wind-affected snow to ice or rock. With the cold temperatures, facets are developing over the January 18 crust and have demonstrated some weaknesses in our tests.
In general, the height of the snowpack varies from 70 to 90 cm in the valley to 100 to 150 cm at mid-mountain.
Weather Summary
Forecast for the Chic-Chocs ridges and summits.
A weak low-pressure system arriving from the north will pass over the region on Sunday evening and Monday morning and is followed by a high-pressure system bringing good weather until Tuesday.
Sunday evening and night: Light snow showers (1 to 3 cm). Wind northwest 10 to 20 km/h. Low -18.
Monday: Intermittent snow (1 cm). Wind northwest 20 to 30 km/h. High -14.
Tuesday: Sunny. Wind southeast 30 to 50 km/h. High -11.
Wednesday: Snow showers (3 to 4 cm). Wind northwest 40 to 80 km/h. High -8.
For more details, check the Alpine Weather Forecast.
Confidence: Moderate
- Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.
- Uncertainty is due to the extreme variability of wind effect on the snowpack.
For backcountry rescue call 911 and tell them you are in the Chic-Chocs
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