- Date
- vendredi 5 décembre 2025
Your conditions update for Friday December 5, 2025.
Transcript:
Hey, everyone. Zoe here with Avalanche Canada with a conditions update for December 5th, 2025. Conditions are changing and winter is on its way. We're expecting a steady stream of precipitation in most of our forecast areas for the weekend and into the coming week. So, moving forward, it's going to be a good time to step back into more conservative terrain.
Despite the lack of snow at lower elevations. We've had some great riding conditions up high with relatively low avalanche danger. Conditions are changing, and your approach to avalanche terrain should as well.
Okay, so how did we get here? Some clear cold weather in mid to late November resulted in weak layers forming on the surface, a thin sun crust, feathery surface hoar, and facets were reported in most parts of western Canada.
In most areas, there was a rain crust that was buried in November, that now has some facets on top of it. This would only be a potential problem if the rain fell on snow that was deep enough to overcome ground roughness to form a smooth surface- and this would be most likely in lower elevation alpine terrain. At this time, it seems like the more recent layers in the upper snowpack are the most likely to be concerning. So up until now, there have been periods of light snow stacking up over these weak layers as we move into the weekend.
Snowfall will continue to stack up and certainly ramp up in some areas, likely reaching the tipping point for touchy slab avalanches to form over these layers. So buried weak layers means the potential for wide propagation and remotely triggered avalanches.
Start with a conservative approach to terrain, choosing smaller, low consequence slopes and be on the lookout for recent avalanches and signs of instability.
Make sure you're only exposing one rider at a time to avalanche terrain, and always regroup in safe spots, ideally where you can spot the rider who's on the slope. As for the terrain below treeline, most of our forecast areas still have pretty thin coverage until you get well into treeline terrain. Creeks, rocks, stumps, and other hazards may be barely buried. New snow will only cover up these hazards. Plan your exits carefully. Travel slowly and make your parents proud by always wearing your helmet.
Remember, the season is still young and there's lots of great riding ahead. Enjoy the fresh snow, but keep your stoke in check. Make sure you're always checking the forecast before heading out into the backcountry for the most up to date conditions for your riding area.
Head to avalanche.ca and give us and your local field team, if you have one, a follow on social media to stay up to date. Have a super fun weekend and I'll catch you on the next update.