Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Jan 2 – 3, 2012Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–5
    Be alert for wind slabs below ridge crests, behind terrain features, and in cross-loaded gullies. New cornices may be weakly bonded and likely to break off.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    3–5
    Touchy weakness susceptible to human triggering. Particularly a concern on unsupported slopes.

Avalanche Summary

Reports of avalanches are getting less frequent, but human triggering large avalanches associated with persistent weaknesses remains possible, including remote triggering. A skier recently remotely triggered an avalanche from 50m away and in many places shooting cracks and whumphing are further indicators of a very touchy, unstable snowpack.

Confidence

Good - -1

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: A couple centimetres possible overnight with up to 5-10cm possible throughout the day. Freezing levels could reach as high as 2000m in the evening with a temperature inversion, and moderate southwesterly alpine winds are expected. Wednesday: Continued light snowfall with moderate to strong southwesterly winds, and freezing levels around 1300m. Thursday: Generally dry with isolated flurries possible.

Snowpack Summary

Compression tests have been producing easy to moderate sudden results on the mid-December surface hoar, down 30-80cm, and propagation tests have shown that avalanches associated with this persistent slab have a high propensity to propagate over large areas. above the mid-december weak layer of surface hoar. A storm snow weakness down 30cm also gave easy sudden results, recently formed wind slabs remain touchy, and in some places buried wind slabs are a concern.

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