INFORMATION & MÉTÉO

Mountain travel information: The snow accumulations for Monday look like they will be much less impressive than forecasted. One of the 2 systems is nearly dead and the other system S of us will take an E a trajectory that barely touches the Chic-Chocs leaving 5 cm of snow.  This new snow will still form small wind slabs in the alpine on westerly slopes that will be possible to ski trigger on Tuesday. The magnitude of these slab should not be very big, but they could still lead to serious consequences if they are triggered where terrain traps exists like trees and rocks. In the subalpine, a thin layer of powder will cover the hard surface. Winter conditions will be brief because the sunshine and temperatures above zero will come back Tuesday afternoon. The snowpack will start its freeze-thaw cycle again Tuesday pm and Wednesday.

 Avalanche activity:   No slab avalanches were observed recently. Anytime, your observations and incidents reports are always greatly appreciated through this email address or by phone at  418-763-7791  #223.

Snowpack: Saturday pm’s small rain event, the warm temperatures and the sun on Sunday have melted the snow at the surface on virtually all aspects at almost all altitudes. Temperatures above the freezing point and the overcast sky Monday created an icy surface on which 5 cm of new snow from Monday will accumulate. The moderate to strong winds from the E will transport easily this snow on W slopes to form new wind slabs. These slabs could reach up to 20 cm in places where there is a large fetch area (the distance over which wind can transport the snow, like over the plateaus). The adhesion between the slabs with the underlying surface remains to be verified, but we believe it will be possible to trigger at the passage of a skier.

Weather: The dual low systems forecasted for today (Monday) are now reduced to one that is arriving from the coast of Maine and heading for Nova Scotia. It will therefore hit the S part of the Gaspe region but we should still get a 5 cm of new snow up in the Chic-Chocs. When the winds turn to be more northerly, a few cm of snow could accumulate on the N coast of the Gaspe Peninsula caused by lake effect. The sky will clear at the arrival of a high pressure coming from northern Quebec Tuesday afternoon. Moderate winds from the E will slow down and turn NE. Temperatures will be stable around the freezing point. Wednesday will be a beautiful sunny day with a maximum of 5°C.

Messages:  Our Avalanche Awareness Days in the Chic-Chocs will take place again this year during the Easter Weekend. Have a look at thepromotional poster. Tell your friends and family about it!

Prepared by: Stéphanie Lemieux

Disclaimer: This snow bulletin is prepared with the most recent weather, snowpack and avalanche activity data available for the Chic-Chocs. This is an information and decision making tool and is not intended to be a replacement for user’s knowledge about snow safety basics and backcountry equipment including beacon, shovel and probe.

Useful inks : The avalanche centre’s online picture album ; follow the team in the field with their SPOT device on google maps ;discussion forum of the Canadian Avalanche Centre for the Haute-Gaspesie region; ZoneSki backcountry/Hors Piste forum.

Mountain travel information: Spring conditions are here for the duration of this bulletin. Fortunately, the warm system forecasted for Friday is disorganized and spare us. The danger for natural and triggered slab avalanche is low because of the freezing at night and the surface melting during the day on sun exposed slopes (SE, E and SW) and because of the small amount of new dry snow on the northern slopes. However, natural and triggered wet snow avalanches will be possible on steep slopes with a S component. Beware of the consequences of an avalanche in these locations. The danger is not necessarily the burial, but the injuries related to the terrain where an avalanche could take you (terrain traps like cliffs, trees and rocks). The best conditions for powdery snow will be in areas protected from wind and sun, such as in the north aspect treed slopes. For spring snow conditions, you will have to follow the sun during the day in relation to aspect and elevation, but be wary of wet snow avalanches.

 Avalanche activity:  Several small (size 1) point triggered wet avalanches were observed at low altitudes on the SW slopes. Anytime, your observations and incidents reports are always greatly appreciated through this address or by phone at   418-763-7791   #223.

Snowpack: The new snow from this week settled significantly because of the strong winds and mild temperatures. Windslabs up to 90 cm were observed in the Mines Madeleine area on the slopes SW. These slabs are much smaller in all other areas where less snow fell. This layer has reacted moderately to our tests, but seems to adhere pretty well to the underlying layer. No signs of instability were observed apart from avalanches of wet snow at low altitudes on the SW slopes.

Weather: A high pressure will bring fair weather for Thursday; max. 5, light wind, sunny. A weakening low pressure system will pass through Quebec in the night from Thursday to Friday which will cover the sky a little. Temperatures rise above the freezing point up to 5 ° during the day Friday and SW winds will blow moderately in the afternoon.

Messages:  Our Avalanche Awareness Days in the Chic-Chocs will take place again this year during the Easter Weekend. Have a look at the promotional poster. Tell your friends and family about it!

Prepared by: Stéphanie Lemieux

Disclaimer: This snow bulletin is prepared with the most recent weather, snowpack and avalanche activity data available for the Chic-Chocs. This is an information and decision making tool and is not intended to be a replacement for user’s knowledge about snow safety basics and backcountry equipment including beacon, shovel and probe.

Useful inks : The avalanche centre’s online picture album ; follow the team in the field with their SPOT device on google maps ;discussion forum of the Canadian Avalanche Centre for the Haute-Gaspesie region; ZoneSki backcountry/Hors Piste forum.

Mountain travel information : A layer of 5 to 10 cm of snow (10 to 15 cm at Mines Madeleine) that has not yet been much moved by the wind even in the alpine makes skiing conditions greatly exceed those of last week. But tomorrow Tuesday, NE winds  will have no mercy and help to form wind slabs on opposite aspects. Be vigilant against rapid loading on steep slopes because the snow behind, usually crusty or hard surface, offers an ideal bed surface if instability lies between these two layers. Tuesday, the danger rating will be MODERATE in the alpine for most areas except that it could reach the CONSIDERABLE level in the Mines Madeleine because of the greater amount of new snow available for wind transport and that it would be more likely to trigger avalanches. Same thing for the subalpine witch could be more MODERATE in that same area Tuesday.

Avalanche activity : Small size point release dry snow avalanches were observed on many steep slopes of the alpine. No other recent avalanche activity was observed or reported so far. Any time, your comments and incidents reports are always greatly appreciated through this email address or by phone at 418-763-7791 #223. 

Snowpack : Currently, new powder snow (5 to 15 cm) is found at the surface both in the alpine than in the subalpine. It covers a harder layer or a crust in the subalpine and around the alpine peaks. Over 600 m. of elevation or the hard snow hardened by the recent weeks winds.

Weather : The low south of the Maritimes that is almost on the same spot since Sunday and has left on the region up to 10 cm of low density snow (20 cm to Mines Madeleine, a phenomenon due to snow streamers) has not said its last word, as additional few centimeters are expected until Tuesday morning. In addition, strong to extreme NE winds will blow into the alpine from tonight until Tuesday before gradually decreasing in intensity to become light on Wednesday. A high pressure ridge will move in slowly from Tuesday noon providing sunny time for Wednesday. Temperatures will remain around -10 degrees C. until Tuesday afternoon when a warming trend is expected toward Wednesday.

Messages : Our Avalanche Awareness Days in the Chic-Chocs will take place again this year during the Easter Weekend. Have a look to the promotional poster and the activities program (French only). Let your friends know.

Prepared by : Jean-Pierre Gagnon

Disclaimer: This snow bulletin is prepared with the most recent weather, snowpack and avalanche activity data available for the Chic-Chocs. This is an information and decision making tool and is not intended to be a replacement for user’s knowledge about snow safety basics and backcountry equipment including beacon, shovel and probe.

Useful inks : Avalanche equipment rentals ; Avalanche Centre’s online pictures ; follow the field team in real time ;discussion forum of the Canadian Avalanche Centre for the Haute-Gaspesie region; ZoneSki backcountry forum