Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Nov 23 – 24, 2015Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
No rating
Treeline
No rating
Below
No rating
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Highlights

It's early in the season but there is more than enough snow for avalanches. New wind slabs are expected on Tuesday. If you are out in the mountains, please post your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–2
    New wind slabs are expected to form on a variety of aspects.  In areas that receive more than 25cm, a more widespread storm slab problem may develop.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–4
    The reactivity of a crust layer and a surface hoar layer in the middle of the snowpack is unknown and these layers should be treated with extra caution until there is more information.

Confidence

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Stormy conditions persist for Tuesday before an Arctic high pressure moves into the region Tuesday night. Another 10-15cm of snowfall is expected by the end of Tuesday with freezing levels around valley bottom. Alpine winds are forecast to be moderate and should shift from SW to NE on Tuesday. On Wednesday, sunny and dry conditions are expected with freezing levels below valley bottom and moderate NE winds in the alpine. Thursday should be much the same with dry, cold, and sunny conditions but alpine winds should be light.

Avalanche Summary

No recent avalanches have been reported. If you are out in the mountains, please send us your observations.

Snowpack Summary

Limited reports from the region suggest that anywhere from 100 to 150cm of snow sits on the ground. There are two crusts and one surface hoar layer in the snowpack that are of potential concern. But be aware as you read this that there is very little data on these layers and you should investigate the snowpack in your local area. The new snowfall will be sitting on a crust that is on or just below the current snow surface. This will likely be the bed surface for any wind slab or storm slab avalanches going forward. A thick crust layer and a layer of surface hoar both potentially sit in the middle of the snowpack but the stability and distribution of these layers throughout the region is not yet known. New loading could increase the reactivity of these layers or smaller avalanche may have the potential to step down. Dig down and test these layers before committing to avalanche terrain. New wind slabs in leeward features may be sensitive to human-triggering for several days. If you're out in the mountains, please send us your reports. Check out the recent conditions video from Whitewater at: https://youtu.be/lmM4gDom1wM

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