Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 22nd, 2019 3:55PM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Loose Wet and Persistent Slabs.

swerner, Avalanche Canada

Kootenay Boundary.

Even if they skies are cloudy you should avoid slopes that have wet mushy snow, especially at lower elevations with little overnight re-freeze. Check out this LINK to see how easy it is to trigger a loose wet avalanche.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

A change in the weather pattern is approaching. FRIDAY NIGHT: Cloudy. Ridgetop winds light from the West and freezing levels 1900 m. SATURDAY: Cloudy. Freezing levels 2000 m and alpine near temperatures near +1 degrees. Ridgetop wind light from the East.SUNDAY: Cloudy with scattered flurries 5-10 cm at upper elevations. Freezing levels 1600 m and alpine temperatures near -3. Ridgetop winds remain light from the northwest.MONDAY: Periods of snow up to 15 cm. Freezing levels 1900 m and alpine temperatures near -2. Ridgetop winds moderate from the southeast.

Avalanche Summary

Natural loose wet avalanche activity continued on Thursday up to size 1.5. Natural avalanche activity will likely taper off later in the weekend when temperatures and freezing levels start to drop.

Snowpack Summary

Currently, solar aspects are showing signs of melt by day and a freeze by night. Only the upper 10-20 cm is re-freezing into a solid crust which typically breaks down by noon. Most solar slopes at lower elevations are becoming isothermal. You can still find dry, wintery snow on North facing slopes above 2000m and variable wind effect remains. Two crusts exist in the upper snowpack and the bond of the overlying snow is most concerning. The first crust is down 20 to 30 cm and loose wet avalanches have slid on this interface. The deeper one down 60-95 cm has also produced easy shears in test profiles and is potentially just waiting for enough heat to penetrate, creating a cohesive slab that may avalanche, if it does? This will likely become less of a concern over time when temperatures drop to more seasonal norms.

Problems

Loose Wet

Loose wet activity is expected to continue on most aspects and elevations. Cornices are soft and weak. You don't want to be under or near one of these looming monsters when they fail.

Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.Give cornices a wide berth when traveling on ridges.

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

Elevations: Treeline, Below Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

Warm temperatures are penetrating deeper into the snowpack and a cohesive slab now sits above a series of weak layers.

Smaller loose wet avalanches may step down to weaker layers initiating large avalanches.

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Unlikely - Possible

Expected Size

1.5 - 3

Valid until: Mar 23rd, 2019 2:00PM