Avalanche Forecast

Good - -1

Wednesday: A weak weather system is expected to pass through the region in the morning bringing a few flurries and moderate westerly winds mainly over the West Kootenays. Freezing levels are expected to rise to 1000 m in the afternoon. Thursday and Friday: A series of weak frontal systems are expected to bring 3-10cm to the region each day starting Thursday afternoon, but the timing is uncertain. Freezing levels could reach as high as 1500m.

One notable Size 2 skier triggered avalanche occurred outside the ski area boundary near Whitewater. This was on a North aspect @1985m. It was a variable 40-60cm thick slab in cross-loaded terrain and 2 skiers were involved, but sustained no injuries. Check out the incident database (under the Bulletins tab) for other reports of recent avalanche involvements in the region, and search vimeo.com for helmet-cam footage of the Feb. 3rd incident near Nelson.

The current snow surface is well on its way in becoming a dangerous weak layer once a sufficiently cohesive slab develops. Surface hoar is continuing to develop on sheltered slopes at all elevations combined with near-surface facets at lower elevations and surface crusts on sun-exposed slopes. There is still dry snow on northerly aspects at higher elevations, but it is likely wind-affected and variable in exposed areas. Mid-day pin-wheeling and other signs of moist snow have been observed on solar aspects at and above treeline. A couple of thin crusts down 30-50cm have been producing moderate to hard shears in tests. Some areas are still getting sudden planar shears on the mid-December surface hoar layer. Basal facets were responsible for a large whumpf on a shallow south facing treeline slope in the Rossland Range and gave very easy and sudden compression tests results where they were found down 60cm.