Archived

Avalanche Forecast

Jan 14th, 2019–Jan 15th, 2019

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be moderate

Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be low

Below Treeline

1: Low

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be low

Alpine

3: Considerable

The avalanche danger rating in the alpine will be considerable

Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating at treeline will be moderate

Below Treeline

2: Moderate

The avalanche danger rating below treeline will be moderate

Regions: Kootenay Boundary.

Sunshine and warm temperatures have settled the snowpack. Be cautious of cold, dry snow below ridges and cornices, wind slabs may be reactive to skier traffic.

Confidence

Moderate - Freezing levels are uncertain

Weather Forecast

MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with clear periods. Freezing level valley bottom, temperature inversion with cooler air in the valleys. Alpine high near +2. Light winds. TUESDAY: Sunny and warm. Freezing level near 1400 m. Alpine high near 0. Light winds. WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Freezing level near 1300 m. Alpine high near -3. Light to moderate south winds. THURSDAY: Cloudy with flurries, up to 10 cm. Freezing level 1000 m. Alpine high -1. Moderate south-southeast winds.More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Avalanche Summary

There were several size 1-1.5 loose wet avalanches on sunny slopes on Saturday.A wind-loaded NW slope was triggered remotely by skiers on Copper Mountain on Friday. The avalanche was reported to have failed on a layer of surface hoar. See the MIN report here.

Snowpack Summary

Warming has promoted settlement of upper snowpack layers and created surface crusts. A melt-freeze crust exists on solar aspects. Cold, dry snow may still be found on north aspects in the alpine.Wind slabs exist in alpine areas and may overlie buried surface hoar. Professionals continue to monitor a couple of persistent weak layers in the upper 50-150 cm of the snowpack. Minimal overnight re-freezes and daytime warming will keep the chance of triggering a deeper slab lingering into Tuesday. Persistent weak layers are most likely to be triggered from thin, rocky areas with a variable snowpack or with a large load, like cornice fall.

Avalanche Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind slabs may be found near ridges and ribs. In some areas, these may overlie a touchy buried surface hoar layer.

Be alert to conditions that change with elevation.Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.If triggered the wind slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood: Possible

Expected Size: 1.5 - 2