Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain for the entire period
Weather Forecast
A ridge of High pressure is expected to develop over the interior regions by Monday evening. The high pressure is expected to continue to cause clearing skies and light winds on Tuesday. The next Pacific disturbance is forecast to make its way into the interior on Wednesday, bringing light precipitation, rising freezing levels and strong gusty winds. Unsettled weather with cloud and periods of convective showers are forecast for Thursday.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported. Expect loose wet snow releases from steep terrain at treeline and below. Pockets of wind slab may be triggered by skiers or riders at higher elevations.
Snowpack Summary
30 cms of new snow has fallen at 1800 metres elevation. Moderate East-Southeast winds have transported snow into wind slabs at alpine elevations, and scoured down to a hard crust on Easterly aspects. The snowpack continues to be moist below the crust.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.
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.