Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Dec 14 – 15, 2014Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

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

Danger ratings trending down due to low freezing levels after the recent rain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–3
    Pockets of windslab in the alpine developed during the last storm in areas that were above the rain line. These windslabs should be gradually increasing their bond to the old surface below.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    High alpine terrain that did not get rain during the last storm may continue to have a storm slab above a deeply buried crust that could act as a smooth sliding layer.

Confidence

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

Weather Forecast

Mostly clear skies with light Southeast winds overnight. Freezing levels dropping down to valley bottoms and overnight alpine temperatures around -8. Clear with light Southeast winds on Monday and alpine temperatures around -5. Cloud developing on Tuesday as the light winds shift to the South or Southwest and alpine temperatures stay around -7. There is a chance of light flurries with little accumulation on Tuesday. On Wednesday expect mostly cloudy with some sunny breaks and light Southeast winds.

Avalanche Summary

No new reports of avalanches from this region

Snowpack Summary

Rain from the past week has saturated the snowpack in most areas, and a hard crust likely exists to about 2100m. The thickness of the crust will depend on elevation and how much rain fell. The Kootenay Pass is reporting a 9 cm knife hard crust with 5 cm of new snow above, and closer to Nelson  up to 2000 metres elevation we have reports of a 7 cm knife hard crust with 1 cm of new snow above. At higher elevations, snow and strong winds have added depth and cohesion to a storm slab which may be sitting on a weak layer of hard rain crust, facets, and/or surface hoar. Near the base of the snowpack is a crust/facet combination which formed in November. This interface remains a concern at higher elevations in many parts of the region as it continues to produce whumpfing, and has the potential for wide propagations.

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