Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Variable snowfall amounts accumulated across the region. The snow may be reactive on Friday, either as soft slabs or loose snow. The persistent slab problem still exists and is best controlled by diligent group management.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm with locally higher amounts from a convective nature, moderate southwest wind, alpine temperature -12 C.FRIDAY: Cloudy with isolated snowfall, trace accumulation, light to moderate west wind, alpine temperature -11 C.SATURDAY: Cloudy with isolated snowfall, trace accumulation, light south wind, alpine temperature -10 C.SUNDAY: Mostly clear skies, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -9 C, freezing level 1300 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed on Wednesday.
Snowpack Summary
Around 10 cm of recent snow overlies wind-affected snow in exposed terrain, soft and faceted snow in sheltered areas, and a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects.Two layers of weak and feathery surface hoar crystals are buried in the snowpack between 40 and 80 cm deep, which were buried mid-February and early-February. The layers may be associated with a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects. These layers remain reactive in snowpack tests and have produced sporadic avalanches in the region over the past week.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.