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CHIC-CHOCS SNOW BULLETIN |
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Date Issued : Monday March 8th 2010 at 18 h.
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Valid until : Wednesday March 10th 2010 at 18 h.
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Area of concern : This snow bulletin covers certain areas of the Chic-Chocs including Mt. Albert, Mt. Hog’s Back, Champs-de-Mars, Mt. Blanche-Lamontagne, Mt. Lyall, Mt.Vallières-de-Saint-Réaland the Mines Madeleine.
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Forecast of avalanche danger :
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
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ALPINE
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CONSIDERABLE
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MODERATE
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SUBALPINE
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CONSIDERABLE
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MODERATE
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Mountain travel information : During our travels today, we were impressed by the heavy snowfall in the Mount Albert area, including those toward E and N. This greatly contrasted with the S sector where we have seen little more than a few traces of snow. This new snow is easily transported on the Mount Albert and Mines Madeleine icy plateaus and deposited in areas leeward of NW wind as well as cross loaded in depressions and near the ridges. It is possible that the wind slabs that are forming could rest on a lower density layer above the melt-freeze crust. This is the classic combination in the Chic-Chocs for instability that can cause natural or accidental slab avalanches. You must therefore observe these signs when moving on the slopes: cracks that propagate through the wind slab followed or not by a slide on the crust and loud noises « whumphs » of collapsing. Keep in mind that even a small avalanche can lead you into trees or rocks.
Avalanche activity : No recent avalanche activity has been observed during our recent field work. Your observations can help us to improve this bulletin. (Please contact us by email or telephone at 418-763-7791 #223)
Snowpack : A layer of new snow between 2 to 15 cm which fell in different places today is currently covering the melt freeze crust that we had for several days on the slopes warmed by the sun in the alpine and on the majority of the subalpine. Expect the formation of wind slabs in the alpine and high in the subalpine terrain on the leeward side or cross loaded by NW winds.
Alpine weather : Winter is not over! A storm is currently raging in the central sector of the Chic-Chocs where precipitation rates of 2 cm/h were observed today. This is due to the influence of a low pressure system on the Lower North Shore and the NW winds which will blow until Tuesday evening. We may expect between 2 and 10 cm of new snow depending on the locations until Tuesday night. The sun should come back for Wednesday with temperatures a little colder with the arrival of a ridge of high pressure.
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Snowfall and snowpack (cm) :
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Height
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Last 24h
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Last 48h
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Last 7 days
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In the valley (Gîte) @ 230 m.
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56 cm
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3 cm
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3 cm
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3 cm
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Mount Albert (Serpentine) @ 560 m.
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87 cm
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Last report on : March 8
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Mount Hog’s Back (South summit) @ 800 m.
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90 cm
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Last report on : March 2
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Mines Madeleine @ 750 m.
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157 cm
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Last report on : March 5
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Messages : With this bulletin, we take the usual frequency, i.e 3 per week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. / Do not miss the spring rendez vous in the Chic-Chocs, on April 2 and 3, with the Avalanche Awareness Days.
Disclaimer : This snow bulletin is prepared with the most recent weather, snowpack and avalanche activity data available for the Chic-Chocs. It is strictly information that can be used as a part of a decision making process and is not intended to be a replacement for knowledge about avalanche safety including and not limited to safe travel practices and the use of backcountry rescue equipment such as beacon, shovel and probe.
464, blvd. Sainte-Anne Ouest, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts (Québec) G4V 1T5
Telephone : 418 763-7791 | Fax : 418 763-7737 | Email : info@centreavalanche.qc.ca