Ongoing flurries and unsettled weather will keep the avalanche hazard elevated.
Continuing flurries and wind will keep building reactive slabs. The added load may trigger slabs on the Christmas crust, especially on wind-loaded slopes at treeline and above.
On Saturday, natural storm slab avalanches and explosive-triggered avalanches up to size 2 were observed around Kootenay Pass. Riders triggered increasingly reactive storm slabs to size 1.5, these developed through the day with accumlating snowfall.
Up to 20 cm of recent storm snow buried surface hoar in wind-sheltered terrain and a sun crust on south-facing slopes at treeline and above. Rain and warm temperatures saturated lower elevations, as freezing levels drop, a crust will form.
Another 20-50 cm of settled snow covers the Dec 24 melt-freeze crust that is thin or absent in alpine terrain but thicker and more widespread at treeline and below.
The mid and lower snowpack is generally well-bonded and consolidated, with multiple crust layers present.
Sunday night
Cloudy. 5 cm of snow, rain at lower elevations. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 15 to 20 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 300 m.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 20 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C. Freezing level 600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
