Avalanche Forecast

TUESDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy with isolated flurries and trace accumulations of snow, moderate to strong wind from the southwest, alpine temperatures around -20 C.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries and up to 5 cm of low density snow, moderate wind with strong gusts from the southwest, alpine high temperatures around -15 C.

THURSDAY: 5-15 cm of low density snow, moderate wind from the south, alpine high temperatures around -12 C.

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, light wind from the west, alpine high temperatures around -12 C.

Large (size 2-3) deep persistent slab avalanches continue to be triggered naturally and with explosives in steep alpine terrain, as a few more were reported on Monday. It has been over one week since any persistent slab avalanches on the December surface hoar layer have been reported, although there could still be lingering concerns about triggering that layer on isolated slopes in sheltered terrain.

Wind has been blowing from different directions and at all elevations over the past few days, so wind slabs could be found in unusual places. A layer of surface hoar that formed in late December appears to be less reactive than it was a week ago and can be found 70 cm deep around Golden, 30 cm deep around Invermere, 70 cm deep around Kimberley, and 100 cm deep along Kootenay Lake. As usual for the Purcells, the base of the snowpack contains basal facets and it remains possible to trigger these deep weak layers in shallow rocky start zones.

• Use caution on large alpine slopes, especially around thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilities.
• Recent wind has varied in direction so watch for wind slabs on all aspects.