Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Confidence
Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Light W winds. Alpine temperature near -1. It may warm up to 0 in the afternoon, especially on sunny alpine/treeline slopes. No precipitation.Thursday: Moderate SW winds. Alpine temperature near -2, possibly warming to 0 in the alpine while remaining cooler in the valley. Very light snow starting in the evening.Friday: Light winds. Alpine temperature near -6. Very light precipitation.
Avalanche Summary
Small loose dry avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Forecast alpine warming and direct sun may lead to a loose moist snow surface. Wind slabs may be found in isolated areas behind terrain breaks such as ridges, ribs and gully walls. Loose dry snow is sluffing in sheltered terrain. A generally settled upper snowpack overlies the late November surface hoar, buried down 115-130 cm. This layer seems particularly reactive in the Rossland Range, in rocky, thin snowpack areas. A deeply buried crust/facet layer near the base of the snowpack is considered dormant. Although unlikely, there is a lingering possibility of triggering a persistent slab in isolated areas.
Problems
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.