Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain
Weather Forecast
The unsettled weather pattern that has dominated the region is changing. The low off the Pacific Coast will start to diminish while being replaced by a weak split flow bringing dryer conditions. Another low will reach the South Coast on Tuesday bringing cloudy skies and generally light precipitation to the interior Regions.Monday: Snow amounts 5-10 cm. Ridgetop winds light from the SE, and alpine temperatures near -8. Freezing levels near 800 m. Christmas Day: No precipitation expected and scattered cloud cover. Ridgetop winds light from the South. Alpine temperatures near -6, and freezing levels 800 m. Wednesday: Light snow amounts. Ridgetop winds light from the SW with alpine temperatures near -10. Freezing levels at valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanche activity has been reported. Skier controlled loose dry avalanches up to size 1.0 were easily initiated within the new storm snow.
Snowpack Summary
Around 110 cm new snow has fallen in the last week. Consistent, moderate SW winds have been redistributing the new snow onto lee slopes and behind terrain features. In areas of wind effect, expect the storm slab to be stiffer, easy to trigger and more reactive. In most places the slab is still relatively unconsolidated and soft and it is not propagating far. The recent storm snow seems to be settling with moderate to hard resistant shears in the top meter of the snowpack. In some areas of the region people are still seeing and testing buried surface hoar down around 130 cm. Test results are in the hard to very hard range with sudden results. Deeper in the snowpack sits a well settled mid-pack. that has not been showing shears in snow profile tests.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.