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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Mar 28th, 2025–Mar 29th, 2025

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary, Bonnington, Grohman, Kootenay Pass, Norns, Rossland, Ymir, Crawford, Moyie, St. Mary, Kokanee.

Mixed precipitation will further load a snowpack that is still recovering. Uncertainty is best managed through conservative terrain choices.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

A widespread large natural avalanche cycle of wet loose to size 2.5, and persistent slabs up to size 4. While activity peaked on Wednesday, human triggering is possible where there is no thick melt-freeze crust.

Read the Forecaster Blog for an opportunity to reflect on this week's widespread avalanche activity.

Snowpack Summary

Wet flurries have deposited 15 to 20 cm of storm snow at upper elevations and have buried variable surfaces of a melt-freeze crust or moist snow, depending on freezing levels.

Several weak layers are found in the middle and lower snowpack:

  • Facets/surface hoar/crust from early March buried 50 to 80 cm deep,

  • Facets/surface hoar/crust from mid-February buried 110 to 130 cm deep, and

  • Facets/surface hoar/crust from late January buried 120 to 160 cm deep.

Weather Summary

Friday Night

Cloudy, wet flurries, 10 to 15 cm. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.

Saturday

Partly cloudy, isolated flurries 2 to 3 cm. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Sunday

Clear with increasing cloud in the afternoon. 15 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.

Monday

Cloudy, flurries 5 to 8 cm. 20 to 30 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures 0 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • In times of uncertainty, conservative terrain choices are our best defense.
  • Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
  • Keep in mind that human triggering may persist as natural avalanches taper off.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.