Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 16th, 2016 9:25AM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is considerable. Known problems include Storm Slabs.

jsmith, Avalanche Canada

Kootenay Boundary.

Extra caution required below treeline where a buried weak layer is easily triggered. Check out the new forecaster blog at avalanche.ca/blogs or click here.

Summary

Confidence

Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Weather Forecast

The next storm has arrived and should produce 5-10 cm of snow by Sunday morning. There is a break in the action on Sunday and Monday with flurries likely not amounting to more than a few cm each day. Current model runs show the interior back into a storm cycle on Tuesday with another 5-10 cm throughout the day. Freezing levels should hover around 1300m and ridgetop winds are expected to remain light to moderate out of the southwest for the forecast period. For additional weather information see avalanche.ca/weather

Avalanche Summary

Numerous natural and human triggered avalanches size 1-2.5 were reported throughout the region on Friday. These avalanches occurred at all elevations and aspects. Of note, a size 2.5 avalanche was remotely triggered from 30 m away near Rossland. This trend is expected to continue throughout the weekend as the snow load increases.

Snowpack Summary

A 40-60 cm storm slab overlays a variety of surfaces including large surface hoar, sun crusts, and facets. In recent days, the snow above this layer has settled into a cohesive slab and is ripe for human triggers. Expect this slab to be thicker on lee features in the alpine. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and strong.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Especially touchy on wind-loaded slopes where slabs are more cohesive, south aspects where buried surface hoar sits on a sun crust, and at lower elevations where warming has promoted slab development and surface hoar is more pronounced.

Avoid steep open slopes and convex rolls at and below treeline where buried surface hoar may be preserved. Caution in cutblocks.>Use conservative route selection, stick to moderate angled terrain with low consequence.>Caution in lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Likely - Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 4

Valid until: Jan 17th, 2016 2:00PM