Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Danger could INCREASE TO CONSIDERABLE with intense radiation on south and west aspects, especially at treeline and below. Be aware of how the warm weather is changing the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
Monday: One more warm day! Expect clear, sunny skies, light winds and alpine temperatures to reach 4 with freezing levels at 2900.Tuesday/Wednesday: The ridge should begin to break down. Light/thin clouds are possible with temperatures slowly falling to more seasonal values. Expect light westerly winds. There is a slight chance of isolated flurries developing late on Wednesday.
Avalanche Summary
Loose wet avalanches up to size 1.5 seem to be the consistent theme these days. Isolated glide slabs have also been reported, running in low alpine, south facing terrain.
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 Northerly aspects.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. Snowpack variability exists; it is important to dig down and test weak layers before diving into your line.
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.