Kootenay Boundary

Keep the observations coming! Recent Mountain Information Network reports are highlighting the importance of diligent travel practices and careful attention to wind loading patterns.

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Sunday night: Cloudy with clear periods. Light southwest winds.Monday: Cloudy with flurries increasing and bringing about 5 cm of new snow by evening, increasing overnight. Light to moderate southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -2 with freezing levels of about 1400 metres and remaining elevated overnight.Tuesday: Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing 10-15 cm of new snow. Moderate to strong south winds. Alpine high temperatures around -1 with freezing levels rising again to about 1700 metres.Wednesday: Cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light southwest winds. Alpine high temperatures around -2 with freezing levels to about 1500 metres.

A MIN report from Saturday describes a snowboarder triggering and getting caught in a smaller (size 1) storm slab that appeared to have been formed by cross-loading winds in the Ymir bowl area. See the full report on the MIN here.On Saturday in the Meadow Creek area of the neighbouring South Columbias, a group of snowmobilers triggered a large deep persistent slab that released to ground and resulted in multiple involvements. Although still an isolated event, travelers should be aware of roughly similar snowpack characteristics in the Kootenay Boundary region and maintain cautious travel practices - especially in complex terrain at higher elevations. See the full report on the MIN here.Please submit any observations you have to the Mountain Information Network here.

Alpine snow depths in the region are around 60 to 80 cm. 10 to 30 cm of recent storm snow overlies a layer of surface hoar that was buried on November 21. This layer is expected to be variable in nature and may have been melted into a crust on southern aspects.