Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Warmth remains the main driver of avalanche hazard as we shift into a more spring like pattern. Minimize your exposure to large slopes if the snowpack is becoming moist or wet.
Weather Forecast
Expect a mix of sun and cloud on Friday. On Saturday, a pacific front will move inland bringing up to 5cm of snow. By Sunday, a short-lived ridge should bring mainly clear skies. Ridgetop winds should be light from the southwest, becoming moderate with Saturday's pulse. Daytime freezing levels should hover around 1500m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported, although I'm sure there has been some smaller wind slab activity in higher elevation lee terrain in response to recent snow and wind.
Snowpack Summary
Generally light amounts (1-10cm) of new snow overlie a supportive melt-freeze crust. These accumulations have been blown around by variable winds and new wind slabs may exist on a variety of aspects. In general, the upper snowpack is a mix of settled storm snow, moist snow and hard crusts. The mid-March crust/facet complex is buried up to 150 cm below the surface. This layer is generally considered dormant as long as cooler temperatures prevail. The mid and lower snowpack are strong and well settled.
Problems
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.