Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Dec 18th, 2013–Dec 19th, 2013

Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kootenay Boundary.

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Thursday: Arctic air surges south giving colder and drier weather. Expect a mix of sun and cloud with increasing cloud later in the day. Alpine temperatures should be around -10 to -15. Winds are light to moderate from the northwest-west. Friday: Light snow with around 5 cm expected through Friday. The freezing level is at valley bottom and winds are moderate from the west-southwest. Saturday: Lingering flurries or light snow. The freezing level is at valley bottom and winds are light from the northwest.

Avalanche Summary

No avalanches have been reported in the last few days.

Snowpack Summary

Light snowfall and strong west-southwest winds have formed pockets of soft wind slab on lee slopes and scoured windward slopes in exposed terrain. Between 35 and 50cm below the surface you may find a weak layer of surface hoar on sheltered slopes and a melt-freeze crust on steep solar aspects. Most reports indicate this layer is "stubborn" to trigger, or there may not be a deep enough overlying slab to create a significant hazard. That said, I'd remain curious about this interface, especially as the snow load increases.In general, snowpack depths are below seasonal average and many slopes below treeline are reported to be below threshold for avalanche activity. Deeper snow is likely in the northern part of the region.

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.