Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 29th, 2017 3:13PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Wind Slabs.

shorton, Avalanche Canada

Kootenay Boundary.

Watch for changing conditions at higher elevations as new wind slabs form.

Summary

Confidence

High - The weather pattern is stable

Weather Forecast

MONDAY: Cloudy, moderate west winds, alpine temperatures around -8 C.TUESDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries and 2-4 cm of new snow, light winds, alpine temperatures around -10 C.WEDNESDAY: Sunny, light northeast winds, alpine temperatures around -14 C.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported. With moderate to strong winds transporting snow in exposed terrain, expect fresh wind slabs on lee and crossloaded features.

Snowpack Summary

A variety of surface conditions exist including wind affected snow, sun crusts, shallowly buried surface hoar, and pockets of light snow. A total of 30-50 cm of settled storm snow now sits above a weak interface that was buried in mid-January. The interface is composed of weak facets, surface hoar, and/or sun crusts. The strength of this interface is variable, but has continued to give some sudden results and propagations in snowpack tests. Areas with thin snowpacks (e.g. less than 150 cm) have a generally weak snowpack structure with sugary facets near the ground. This includes shallow alpine slopes and most of the Rossland range. These deeper weaknesses warrant long term monitoring, as they could reawaken with a sudden change in the weather.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Watch for pockets of wind slabs on exposed features near ridge crests and cross-loaded gullies. Expect increased sensitivity and wide propagations where slabs are poorly bonded to buried surface hoar or crusts.

Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.Avoid steep convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.Use ridges or ribs to avoid pockets of wind loaded snow.

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Valid until: Jan 30th, 2017 2:00PM