Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
Sunshine and warm temperatures on Tuesday could lead to slightly higher danger ratings in the afternoon. If the snow is getting moist or wet then move to cooler, shadier slopes.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Mainly sunny with clouds developing late in the day. The freezing level is around 2400-2700 m. Ridge winds are light from the SW. Wednesday: Cloudy with a chance of showers or flurries. The freezing level starts near 2500 m and should lower to 2000-2200 m. Winds are light gusting moderate from the SW. Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with a chance of showers or flurries. The freezing level is steady at 2000-2200 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported recently. It may still be possible to trigger old pockets of wind slabs or loose snow sluffs from steep sun-exposed slopes, especially if conditions remain warm and sunny.
Snowpack Summary
Variable snow surface consists of wind-affected snow or wind-scoured crusts in exposed alpine areas, moist snow or sun crust on sun-exposed slopes, or 5-10cm of dry snow overlying an old crust in shady and sheltered areas. At higher elevations, ongoing winds may be continuing to build thin wind slabs in leeward features. Lower elevations are undergoing daily springtime melt-freeze cycles. The most prominent feature in the snowpack is the thick late-February crust, down 5-20 cm. This crust is supportive all the way to ridge crest and is effectively "capping" the snowpack, keeping riders from stressing any deeper weak layers. There are still weak layers below this crust that we'll continue to monitor, but for now these layers are dormant. We would likely need significant warming and/or heavy loading to re-activate them.
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.