Avalanche Forecast

A strong Pacific frontal system will be focused on the coastal mountains today, reaching the Interior overnight. Strong ridgetop winds from the south-southwest and light snow will spread over the Kootenay Region. On Thursday and Friday, the next low pressure system will bring strong southwest winds, snow amounts 5-15 cm and freezing levels as high as 1500 m. The approaching upper trough will bring unsettled conditions throughout the weekend.

No new avalanches have been reported. This may speak to the lack of observations rather than actual conditions. With new snow and strong winds forecast the avalanche danger will likely be on the rise.

At treeline elevations, the snowpack appears to typically be 1-1.5m deep. Current snow surfaces are a mixed bag and likely include a mix of stubborn wind slabs, crusts well defined at upper elevations especially on southerly aspects, loose faceted snow and surface hoar in sheltered areas. In some parts of the region a thick hard crust is reported to exist between 15 and 25cm below the surface. For the time being, this hard crust is likely adding significant strength to the snowpack. That said, the combination of facets and surface hoar overlying a hard crust could become a reactive weak layer when it gets buried by new snow, and new snow its on its way. There is also a thick crust from early-November in the middle of the snowpack. The limited reports we have received suggest that this crust is well bonded but you should investigate the snowpack in your local area before committing yourself to avalanche terrain. In general, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding snowpack structure throughout the region. If you have any observations to share, please submit them to our Mountain Information Network.