Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain on Saturday
Weather Forecast
Overnight and Saturday: The second of three waves of precipitation is expected to make its way to the interior by early morning. Expect 10-15 cms of new snow to fall above 1700 metres elevation combined with moderate winds gusting to strong from the West. Alpine temperatures should drop to about -3.0 overnight and rise to -1.0 during the day.Sunday: Expect a slight cooling trend in the wake of the second wave. The third wave of precipitation should move into the interior by the afternoon, combined with light Southerly winds.Monday: Conditions should start to dry out in the wake of the third wave of precipitation.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported. Expect loose wet snow releases from steep terrain at treeline and below.
Snowpack Summary
New snow is expected to bond well to the old moist or wet surfaces. Some new wind slabs may develop at higher elevations. Surface crusts may have developed before new snow started to fall, providing a sliding layer for the new snow.
Problems
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.
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.