Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Pockets of windslab can be found near ridge top on open east aspects. Meanwhile a spring-like, melt-freeze cycle is underway on solar aspects at all elevations, watch for moist or wet snow once the crust breaks down.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods. Ridge winds light to moderate from the west. Alpine temperature -5. Freezing level near 1000m. Alpine inversion.WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with sunny periods. Ridge winds light from the northwest. Alpine temperature -3. Freezing level near 1000m.THURSDAY: Mainly cloudy. Ridge winds light from the northwest. Alpine temperature -3. Freezing level near 1000m. Alpine inversion.
Avalanche Summary
Small loose dry avalanches were observed from skier traffic in steep terrain on Saturday. Small wind slabs were released on Friday by a skier and explosives in alpine lee features. Small loose wet avalanches were observed on steep south-facing slopes on Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
On southerly aspects, warm daytime temperatures have melted the snow surface resulting in crust formation overnight. These crusts will likely breakdown quickly with sunny weather and warm temperatures expected to continue for the next few days. In shaded areas and on northerly aspects the surface consists of surface hoar up to 30 mm with faceted snow in the top 20 cm. The late-November crust is now buried 30-50 cm and is 15-25 cm thick. Recent snowpack tests have produced hard, resistant compression test results within the layers of crust. Below this layer the lower snowpack is strong and well settled.
Problems
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.
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.