Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Confidence
Fair - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Saturday: Mainly dry with broken skies, winds light to moderate from the northwest and alpine temperatures -7.Sunday: A series of weather systems start to affect the interior regions. Light snowfall, alpine temperatures -9, winds light to moderate from the northwest.Monday: Light snow, winds light from the northwest and west and freezing level at 800m.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanche activity to report.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 25 cm of recent new snow in the past 5 days and strong westerly winds have formed pockets of wind slab on lee slopes. A layer of surface hoar is buried 15-20 cm down, and has been reactive with the new snow, mainly causing loose dry sluffing from steeper terrain.A little deeper (between 35 - 50 cm below the surface) you may find a weak layer of surface hoar on sheltered slopes or a crust/facet combo on steep solar aspects. This layer is dormant, and there is not a deep enough overlying slab to create a significant hazard. That said I'd recommend keeping it on the radar, especially as the snow load above increases.In general, snowpack depths are below seasonal average with many slopes below treeline still reported to be below threshold for avalanche activity. A deeper snowpack is likely in the northern part of the region.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.