Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Jan 6 – 7, 2023Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

With snow available for transport and wind in the forecast, wind slabs will be developing throughout the day. Monitor the wind direction and anticipate slopes where newly formed wind slabs may exist.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Fresh wind slabs are likely to form at upper elevations as winds pick up through the day today.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    The most recent activity on this layer has been between 1800 to 2200 m. This layer will be more difficult to trigger where there is a robust crust, formed on December 26th.

Avalanche Summary

After a dynamic period of large avalanches occurring on deep persistent weak layers, reported avalanche activity has tapered.

Going forward, snow available for transport may build touchy wind slabs over various surfaces.

Confidence

Moderate

Snowpack Summary

Forecasted flurries overnight will further bury various surfaces of crust on steep south-facing slopes, surface hoar that developed over the past few days, and 30 to 40 cm of previous snow. A hard melt-freeze crust can be found up to 2000 m. Where it is robust enough to do so, this crust appears to be effectively bridging deeper instabilities, making them more difficult to trigger.

The two persistent weak layers are a 60 to 80 cm deep surface hoar/crust layer that was buried in mid-December and an 80 to 150 cm deep surface hoar/facet layer buried in mid-November.

Weather Summary

Thursday night

Cloudy with 5 cm of new snow, 30 km/h south winds, treeline temperature around -4 °C.

Friday

Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm new snow, 20 to 30 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature around -5 °C, freezing level 800 m.

Saturday

Cloudy, up to 10 cm of new snow, southeast wind easing to 15 to 20 km/h, treeline temperature -5 °C, freezing level 800 m.

Sunday

Cloudy, up to 5cm of new snow, 20 to 30 km/h south winds, treeline temperatures -5 °C

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Pay attention to the wind, once it starts to blow fresh sensitive wind slabs are likely to form.
  • Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.

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