Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Rising freezing levels and sunny periods will weaken the snow surface and increase the likelihood of triggering avalanches.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Trace of new snow overnight on Tuesday. Cloudy with sunny periods and freezing levels rising to 1800 m. Ridgetop winds light from the West. Thursday: New snow 5-10 cm accompanied by gusty winds from the East. Freezing levels dropping to 1000 m. Friday: Yet another blast of winter at higher elevations! Up to 20 cm of new snow. Ridgetop winds light from the West and freezing levels 1600 m.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, reports indicated loose wet avalanche activity from steep slopes and terrain features at treeline. With rising freezing levels and some sunny periods on Wednesday the avalanche hazard may rise and natural avalanche activity may occur.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 10 cm of new snow is sitting on previous moist snow surfaces. Recent winds from the southeast and southwest have sifted the new snow, forming isolated wind slabs in leeward terrain features and slopes. With freezing levels rising, surface snow will likely become moist through the day. Up to 40 cm of snow that fell last weekend overlies melt-freeze crusts that formed over the past few weeks.The mid and lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.