Avalanche Forecast

High -

Sunday night: Scattered flurries bringing approximately 5 cm of new snow. Light to moderate south winds.Monday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light southwest winds. Freezing level to 1700 metres with alpine temperatures around -2Tuesday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries and a trace of new snow. Light to moderate southwest winds. Freezing level to 1600 metres with alpine temperatures around -3.Wednesday: Cloudy with flurries bringing approximately 10 cm of new snow. Moderate to strong southeast winds. Freezing level to 1600 metres with alpine temperatures around -2.

Reports from Saturday showed storm slabs releasing from Size 1-2 with ski cutting and explosives control. One natural Size 1.5 slab was observed on a steep northeast slope. Crown fractures generally ranged from 10-40 cm. Natural loose wet avalanches were noted reaching to Size 1.5 in the Kootenay Pass area.

Stormy weather over the past week brought roughly 40-50 cm of snow to the region. Periodic high freezing levels and solar exposure over the same period formed a series of crusts (March 19-24) that exist within this upper snowpack at lower elevations and on solar aspects. The new snow and series of crusts lie over a more widespread (March 14) rain crust that exists at all elevations. Moist or wet snow exists below this rain crust. The late-February facet / surface hoar interface (90-140 cm deep), the mid-February crust (110-150 cm deep), and basal facets in shallow snowpack areas may still be present at upper elevations. Overlying crusts have been noted acting as a bridge over these layers and any remaining reactivity is likely limited to high alpine locations.