Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
As soon as the sun comes out the surface snow will quickly become moist and increase the likelihood of loose wet avalanches.
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries / light north wind / freezing level 1000 mFRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries / light northeast wind / alpine high temperature -3 C / freezing level 2000 mSATURDAY: Cloudy / up to 10 cm snow accumulation / moderate to strong southwest wind / alpine high temperature -4 C / freezing level 1700 mSUNDAY: Cloudy / 5 cm snow accumulation / moderate southwest wind / alpine high temperature -6 C / freezing level 1500 m
Avalanche Summary
On Wednesday, only a few explosive triggered wind slab avalanches were reported. On Tuesday, a few human triggered wind/storm slabs up to size 1 were observed on sun affected slopes in the alpine.On Monday, only a few human triggered loose wet avalanches to size 1 were reported.
Snowpack Summary
Last week's unsettled weather produced 10-35 cm of snow that sits on a melt-freeze crust on all aspects, but on north facing slopes above 2000 m, where the recent new snow sits on dry snow and surface hoar (feathery crystals). The recent snow is bonding well with the underlying layers. Recent snowfall amounts taper quickly below treeline.
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.
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.