Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Be alert to conditions that change with daytime warming. Danger ratings are likely to exceed posted levels if solar radiation is strong, especially at treeline and below.
Confidence
Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Wednesday
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: A mix of sun and cloud / Light southwest winds / Freezing level at 2100mThursday: Moderate snowfall/rain developing late in the day / Moderate southwest winds / Freezing level at 2400mFriday: Moderate to locally heavy snowfall/rain / light to moderate southwest winds / Freezing level at 1700m
Avalanche Summary
Glide cracks are opening up and releasing. On Sunday a size 3.5 glide crack released on a West aspect at 2300 m and ran to valley bottom. Loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 continue to be widespread.
Snowpack Summary
Large cornices loom over many slopes. The upper 10 cm of surface snow has become moist up to 2300 m, and melt-freeze conditions exist. Surface facetting and surface hoar (up to 12 mm) are prevalent on steep northerly aspects at upper elevations.The surface snow overlies an old crust (down 50-60 cm) which exists up to ridge top. The bonds with the crust have gained strength in most places, and some test results are showing resistant planar fracture characteristics. Having said that, the overlying slab could become reactive with daytime warming.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.