Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Feb 2nd, 2015 7:19AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Storm Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

ghelgeson, Avalanche Canada

Kootenay Boundary.

Keep your eyes peeled for small sensitive wind slabs and fast running sluff, especially if you're hunting some of the bigger trophy lines.

Summary

Weather Forecast

Should be relatively cool and dry Tuesday with light variable winds at treeline. The freezing level should creep up to 1000m Wednesday, returning to the valley bottom Wednesday Night. Freezing levels are expected to climb steadily through the day Thursday topping out around 2300m as winds rage at extreme speeds out of the SW. The models suggest this will continue with no overnight recovery until at least Sunday.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches have been reported.

Snowpack Summary

5 - 10 cm of new snow fell Sunday evening into Monday accompanied by moderate SW winds. This new snow has fallen on a widespread and mostly supportive melt-freeze crust 1 - 15cm thick that is topped by 6 - 15mm surface hoar. This combo has been reported on all aspects and elevations. The mid-January weak layer of buried surface hoar is down 25-55 cm and continues to give planar results in snow profile tests. The mid-December crust/facet/surface hoar layer can be found down around 50cm deep in low snowpack areas, and about 100cm down in deeper snowpack areas. There may still be potential to trigger this deeper layer from thin spots like rock outcroppings and ridgecrests at and above treeline.

Problems

Storm Slabs

The new snow rests on a touchy combination of crust and surface hoar. Small but sensitive wind slabs and fast running sluffs are expected for the next few days.

Avoid exposure to terrain traps where the consequences of a small avalanche could be serious.>Be cautious of sluffing in steep terrain.>Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

1 - 2

Persistent Slabs

While unlikely, you may still be able to initiate an avalanche on the mid-December crust/SH interface in spots where the snowpack goes from thick to thin.

Be aware of thin areas that may propagate to deeper instabilities, especially in areas where the upper crust is not supportive.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Unlikely

Expected Size

3 - 5

Valid until: Feb 3rd, 2015 2:00PM