Badshot-Battle

Large human triggered avalanches are possible.

Evidence of a persistent weak layer may be hard to find. Avoiding steep, shallow terrain is the best way to avoid this avalanche problem.

On Wednesday, Several small (up to size 1.5) natural and human triggered wind slab and dry loose avalanches were reported.

However, there was one report on Monday of a large avalanche remotely triggered by humans in steep, north facing treeline terrain, northwest of Kaslo. It is suspected that it failed on the early December persistent weak layer.

Expect to find 20 to 30 cm of soft snow on the surface. In specific places you may find a thin crust, or small wind slabs. Below the recent snow, there are potentially a couple different layers of large (up to 25 mm), feathery surface hoar crystals 15-35 cm deep. They may be resting on a crust on slopes that face the sun.

A widespread surface hoar/facet/crust layer is buried 70 to 120 cm. This layer is trending to unreactive in much of the region, but it's not fully healed. It was most recently active south of Trout Lake and east of Slocan Lake on north through east-facing slopes between 1700 and 2300 m.

At treeline, snow depths range from 135 to 200 cm.

Thursday Night

Increasing cloud. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Possible temperature inversion above 2000 m. Treeline temperature -5 °C.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with 7 to 10 cm of snow. 15 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Temperature inversion breaking down. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h northwest wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 20 to 40 km/h northwest wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Carefully evaluate big and steep terrain features before committing to them.
• Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to a buried crust.