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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 24th, 2014–Feb 25th, 2014

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Don't let the improving weather lure you into high risk scenarios. Conditions remain very tricky.Avalanche danger can rise quickly with the first day of full sun.

Confidence

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

Weather Forecast

The strong arctic ridge will continue to push modified arctic air across the region. Clear and dry conditions will persist until Thursday. Some unstable disturbances are embedded in this flow, bringing some scattered cloud later in the week.Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Treeline temperatures -2.0. Ridgetop winds are light and variable. Freezing levels rising to 1100 m. Wednesday: Sunny in the am with some cloud. Treeline temperatures near 1.0. Ridgetop winds light from the north. Freezing levels 1800 m.Thursday: Mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near 1.0. Ridgetop winds moderate from the northwest. Freezing levels 1500 m.

Avalanche Summary

On Sunday, a skier triggered size 2.5 was reported. Party of three with two involved. Sadly RCMP reported one fatality and the other suffered serious injuries. The crown was near 100 cm deep and released near ridgetop in storm snow and then stepping down to the persistent weak interface and running a far distance through the trees. Remote triggering and long fracture propagations are occurring on all aspects and elevations. With forecast sun, the avalanche hazard will likely increase on solar slopes.Check out the Forcaster Blog! It shows a photo of a remote triggered size 3 last Friday in the southern part of the Kootenay-Boundary.

Snowpack Summary

Changing winds from the southwest-north may build fresh wind slabs on leeward slopes. Currently there is over a metre of recent storm snow that is sitting on a weak layer comprising of facets, surface hoar, melt-freeze crusts and any combination of these. The weak layer is widespread at all elevations and aspects and continued whumpfing and easy sudden planar snowpack test results are being reported. The storm slab continues to settle and become more cohesive allowing for longer fracture propagations and remote triggering from up to 200 m away, yikes! This persistent weak layer is expected to be a concern for some time; at all elevations and aspects. Treeline and below treeline elevations is catching many people by surprise.With forecast sunny periods, solar aspects will likely see some changes and become more reactive.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.