Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
The avalanche danger trends upward with the appearance of the sun and afternoon warming. Danger is rated for the warmest part of the day.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY NIGHT: Mainly cloudy, light easterly wind, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level 1700 mFRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northerly wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 2100 mSATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light westerly wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 2200 mSUNDAY: Mainly cloudy, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 2100 m
Avalanche Summary
On Tuesday and Wednesday there were reports of skier triggered thin wind slabs to size 1.5. On Wednesday loose wet avalanches to size 1 were observed in the afternoon on solar aspects.
Snowpack Summary
At upper elevations, up to 15 cm of recent new snow sits on a melt-freeze crust or moist snow. Some of this has been redistributed by southwesterly winds which may have formed isolated thin wind slabs. At lower elevations, expect to see a supportive crust on or near the surface if there is a good overnight freeze. This crust sits above a largely moist or wet snowpack.
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.