Avalanche Forecast

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

A deep upper trough is moving through BC this weekend. The unsettled weather pattern should deliver continued precipitation and southwesterly winds to the mountains of the Kootenay Boundary through the forecast period. FRIDAY NIGHT: 5 to 20 cm of snow, strong to extreme southwest wind.SATURDAY: Overcast skies, freezing level beginning around 500m rising to 1000m in the afternoon, moderate SW wind, 5 to 10 cm of snow. SUNDAY: Overcast skies, freezing level beginning around valley bottom rising to 500m in the afternoon, light SW wind, 1 to 5 cm of snow. MONDAY: Overcast skies, freezing level beginning around valley bottom rising to 500m in the afternoon, moderate SW wind, 1 to 5 cm of snow.Visit avalanche.ca/weather for a more detailed mountain weather forecast.

On Thursday control work produced storm slab avalanches to size 1.5 on NE, E and SE facing slopes. Reports from Wednesday include numerous natural, skier and explosive triggered storm/wind slab avalanches up to Size 2.

30 to 80cm of snow has fallen in the last week, which is bonding poorly to a sun crust on previously sun-exposed slopes, or facets and large surface hoar on shaded aspects. Wind slabs have formed in exposed areas from winds out of the NW and now SW, with continued snow and wind forecast for Friday night and Saturday. A variety of crusts and thin surface hoar layers in the upper snowpack are becoming more of a concern with this increased load. Areas with a shallow snowpack (less than around 170 cm) generally have a weak snowpack structure with a deep persistent weakness of facets near the ground. There are a number of great MIN reports from Thursday and Friday here: http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network/submissions/