Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Bonnington, Crawford, Grohman, Kokanee, Kootenay Boundary, Kootenay Pass, Moyie, Norns, Retallack, Rossland, South Okanagan, St. Mary, Valhalla, Ymir.
10-15 cm of new snow and moderate west wind have formed fresh wind slabs on lee features.
Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Friday.
Data in this region is limited. Please consider sharing your observations on the Mountain Information Network (MIN).
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of new snow on Saturday and moderate west wind have formed fresh wind slabs on lee features at treeline and above.
The recent snow is sitting on a hard crust. Below this crust, a weak layer of surface hoar may exist in some areas.
A second crust layer is down 40-60 cm.
Average snowpack depths at treeline are 70-110 cm. Snow depth tapers rapidly below treeline.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Clear skies, west alpine wind 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperature -10 °C.
Sunday
Sunny skies, south alpine wind 25 to 35 km/h, treeline temperature -7 °C.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud, southwest alpine wind 25 to 35 km/h, treeline temperature -6 °C.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy, southwest alpine wind 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -3 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like.
- Early season avalanches at any elevation have the potential to be particularly dangerous due to obstacles that are exposed or just below the surface.
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
10-15 cm of new snow on Saturday and moderate west wind have formed fresh wind slabs on lee features at treeline and above.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Possible
Expected Size: 1 - 2