Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Saturday

Thursday: Cloudy with light snow starting in the afternoon, freezing levels remaining in valley bottoms, and light westerly alpine winds becoming moderate to strong southwesterlies with the onset of precipitation. Friday: Light snow tapering off throughout the day with 5-10cm total since Thursday, light northwesterly winds and freezing levels as high as 600m. Saturday: Moderate snowfall, strong southwesterly winds and freezing levels rising as high as 600m.

No new avalanche activity has been reported. Expect fresh wind slabs and loose surface snow to be sensitive to human triggers.

Recent winds have been redistributing the low density surface snow onto leeward slopes creating thin wind slabs that have been giving moderate compression tests results. Surface hoar buried at the end of November recently gave moderate to hard but sudden results in compression tests where it has been found as large as 10mm down 75-120cm, or shallower in the Rossland Range where it more of a concern. On a southwest aspect at 2020m in a shallow faceted snowpack area of Kootenay Pass, facets sitting on a rain crust recently gave moderate but resistant compression test results down 30-35cm. Recent reports suggest that the early November facet/crust deep persistent basal weakness has been producing inconsistent, but occasionally sudden snowpack test results and remains a concern. Keep this on your radar, especially when traveling in areas at higher elevations that have a smooth ground cover where the existing crust is uniform and consistent.