Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Dec 15 – 16, 2013Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Strong westerly winds on Monday may shift loose surface snow into pockets of windslab at higher elevations. Older windslabs also exist under a thin veil of snow on west/southwest facing terrain.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    A weak interface buried at the end of November is now buried by up to 50cm of snow. This layer may see increased reactivity with more snowfall.

Weather Forecast

Monday: Light snowfall / Moderate westerly winds (with extreme gusts) / Freezing level at 800mTuesday: Light snowfall / Moderate southwesterly winds (with extreme gusts) / Freezing level at 800mWednesday: Possible clearing / Light winds / Freezing level at 700m

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported in the last few days.

Confidence

Fair - Wind speed and direction is uncertain on Monday

Snowpack Summary

In general, snowpack depths are below seasonal average any many slopes below treeline are reported to be below threshold for avalanche activity. Deeper snowpacks may exist to the north of the region.Dribs and drabs of recent snowfall overlie weak faceted crystals, small surface hoar or older hard windslabs in exposed high elevation terrain. These modest accumulations may have been shifted into small pockets of windslab in areas where winds have been stronger.Between 35 and 50cm below the surface you may find a weak layer of surface hoar on sheltered slopes and a melt-freeze crust on steep solar aspects. Most reports indicate this layer is "stubborn" to trigger, or there may not be a deep enough overlying slab to create a significant hazard. That said, I'd remain curious about this interface, especially as the snow load increases.There are reports of a deeply buried early season crust which may have associated facets. This layer is more likely to be found in the high alpine on northerly aspects. Little is known about its reactivity in this region.

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