Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Warmth is the main driver of avalanche hazard at the moment. Minimize your exposure to large slopes if the snowpack is becoming moist or wet.
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Friday: Increasing cloud with a chance of showers. The freezing level peaks near 2800 m and ridge winds are moderate from the SW. Saturday: Moderate snow or rain 10-15 mm or cm. The freezing level is near 2000-2200 m and winds are moderate or strong from the SW. Sunday: Cloudy with a chance of showers/flurries. The freezing level is around 1800-2000 m and winds remain moderate from the W-SW.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Tuesday or Wednesday. On Sunday and Monday a few size 1-2 storm slabs from NW-NE aspects between 2000-2300 m were reported from the northern part of the region. One slide on Sunday was reported as a size 2.5 that may have been triggered by a cornice fall and appeared to release on the mid March crust. Warming a rain moved in by early Thursday which may have resulted in more widespread storm slab and wet activity.
Snowpack Summary
By early Thursday morning the temperatures began to rise and light rain was likely seen to ridgetop in most areas. This will have created moist or wet surface snow, which probably won't refreeze overnight unless it clears off. The mid March crust layer is now down 40-60cm, and possibly deeper on wind loaded features. Most recent reports suggest that the overlying snow is bonding well to the crust. However, a snowpack test on Tuesday from the northern part of the region produced an easy sudden "pops" result on a crust/facet interface down 70 cm. This was on a northwest aspect near 2200 m.
Problems
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.