Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Feb 1 – 2, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Recent windslabs are becoming more stubborn to trigger. Warm temperatures forecast should continue to settle and bond these instabilities.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–5
    Recent wind and snowfall has created sensitive new cornices at ridgetops. Cornice falls are a large load that may trigger deeply buried weak layers and cause large avalanches on the slopes below.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–4
    Recent snowfall has added to the current storm slab problem. Watch for storm slabs on steeper, unsupported features.

Confidence

Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain on Friday

Weather Forecast

A ridge of high pressure moving in from the coast is expected to produce light southerly winds combined with broken skies and freezing levels rising to about 1300 metres by Thursday afternoon. Warm temperatures are forecast to persist through the night and into Friday morning. More clearing is expected on Friday. Freezing levels are expected to rise to about 1500 metres, and solar radiation should be strong on sun exposed slopes. Alpine temperatures are forecast to be around -3.0 in the alpine. Saturday is expected to be mostly clear with temperatures a few degrees cooler than Friday.

Avalanche Summary

Report of a natural avalanche size 1.5 dry slab with a 20-30 cm crown at 1900 metres on Grey Mtn near Rossland. Skier accidental size 2.0 dry slab avalanche reported from the back country near Whitewater ski resort on a North aspect near treeline.

Snowpack Summary

The recent storm snow layer is about 30-50 cm thick and is quite variable across the region. There are a couple of thin crusts buried below the storm snow that have been producing moderate to hard shears in tests. Some areas are still getting sudden planar shears on the mid-december surface hoar layer. The forecast warming trend may weaken the bond on the mid-december layer; particular concern in low snowpack areas.

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