Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Dec 25 – 26, 2014Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

Conditions like these frequently lead to avalanche accidents. Stay disciplined with your approach to the mountains during the holiday weekend.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–5
    Storm snow from the last few days is coalescing into a slab that rests precariously on a potent combination of weak surface hoar and stout rain crust. Conditions are prime for large human triggered avalanches failing 30 - 70 cm deep.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–5
    An avalanche on Sunday stepped down to deeply buried weak layers which formed in November. These destructive layers should remain on our radar as they could be triggered with large inputs such as a cornice fall or an avalanche in motion.

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Synopsis: The storm to strong cold ridge pattern seems to be stuck on repeat. Looks high and dry as yet another ridge of high pressure takes over provincial weather for the foreseeable future.Friday: Freezing Level: Valley Bottom; Precipitation: Nil; Treeline: Light, NW | Ridgetop: Moderate, NWSaturday: Freezing Level: Valley Bottom; Precipitation: 0-3mm | 0-5cm; Wind: Treeline: Light, SW | Ridgetop: Strong, W/NWSunday: Freezing Level: Valley Bottom; Precipitation: Nil; Wind: Treeline: Light, NE | Ridgetop: Moderate to Strong E/SE

Avalanche Summary

Although there isn't any new activity to report from Wednesday, there's been quite a bit of avalanche activity since Sunday featuring remote triggers, human involvements and plenty of naturals running on all aspects to size 2.5 on the Mid-December rain crust/surface hoar interface.

Snowpack Summary

30 - 70 cm of recent storm snow is consolidating into a slab above a thick rain crust / surface hoar combo that extends as high as 2400 m. Natural activity on this layer has slowed way down but it is now primed for human triggering. High elevation north facing slopes do not have the rain crust, but are still reported to have touchy buried surface hoar. On these slopes, deeper facets or buried surface hoar from earlier in the month may also be lurking. At the base of the snowpack, a crust/facet combo has become less likely to trigger, although a recent avalanche that occurred on this layer near Rossland indicates this layer should remain on our radar on steep, smooth terrain at treeline and in the alpine.

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