Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Expect loose wet avalanches if the sun comes out long enough to warm up and weaken the snow surface.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear with a few clouds, light northerly wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1600 mSATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light westerly wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 2200 mSUNDAY: Cloudy, up to 5 cm precipitation, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 2000 mMONDAY: Cloudy, light north wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 2000 m
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday only few small loose wet and loose dry avalanches were observed. On Wednesday loose wet avalanches to size 1 were observed in the afternoon on solar aspects. On Tuesday and Wednesday there were reports of skier triggered thin wind slabs to size 1.5.
Snowpack Summary
At upper elevations, the recent 15 cm snow from the beginning of the week is bonding well with the melt-freeze crust or moist snow below. Some of the recent snow was redistributed by southerly winds which formed isolated thin wind slabs. These wind slabs may still be triggered by humans. At lower elevations, expect to see a supportive crust on or near the surface if there is a good overnight freeze. This crust sits above a largely moist or wet snowpack.
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.
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.