Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Spring Conditions. Looks like a typical spring day with a mix of conditions. The sun can be very strong at this time of year; conditions may change rapidly if the sun comes out.
Weather Forecast
Mostly cloudy overnight with moderate southwest winds, light precipitation, and freezing levels down to 1000 metres. Mix of sun and cloud on Friday with scattered convective flurries and daytime freezing levels at 2200 metres. A strong ridge develops on Saturday bringing clear skies, light southerly winds and freezing levels up to at least 2500 metres. The ridge gets stronger on Sunday, temperatures and freezing levels sky-rocket to at least 3000 metres.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported. One report of a natural cornice fall size 2.0 on a northeast aspect at 2200 metres on Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
Forecast new snow, wind, and cooler temperatures will bring back winter to higher elevations for a day or two. Expect the old surface to re-freeze overnight and some new wind slabs may form in the lee of southwest winds. These new wind slabs may not bond well to the old hard surface. Surface crusts may break down rapidly if the sun comes out, especially on steep slopes with direct sun exposure.
Problems
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.