Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Wintery conditions up high - spring conditions down low. Watch for conditions that change with elevation.
Confidence
Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Saturday
Weather Forecast
Saturday: 8-15cm of new snow / Strong southwest winds / Freezing level at 1800mSunday: Clear skies / Light and variable winds / Freezing level at 1900mMonday: Clear skies / Light and variable winds / Freezing level at 2400m
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported. I would expect expect a new round of wind slab activity on Saturday in response to new snow and wind. Loose wet avalanches and cornice falls will soon become problematic with warming and solar radiation forecast for Sunday and Monday.
Snowpack Summary
New snow and wind on Saturday are expected to form new wind slabs in upper elevation lee terrain. Depending on aspect and elevation, the new snow will likely overlie moist snow, a melt-freeze crust or settled storm snow from earlier in the week.Numerous other melt-freeze crusts exist in the upper snowpack from rain, sun, and warming during the spring season. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well-settled and strong while melt-freeze conditions exist on all aspects below treeline.
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.