Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Apr 5 – 6, 2016Avalanche Canada
View on map
Archived · expired 10 years ago

Avalanche danger

Thu
Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Open full map

Highlights

Sunny skies will cause fresh winds slabs to become more reactive. Failing cornices could trigger large avalanches running to valley bottoms. Watch out for overhead hazard.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Fresh wind slabs will become very touchy with solar radiation.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    3–6
    This time of year the strength of cornices deteriorates rapidly with solar radiation.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Changes can be rapid, sometimes significant change is possible in a matter of minutes, certainly within an hour or two.

Confidence

High

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: Partly sunny skies. Moderate to strong westerly winds in the morning that diminish in the afternoon. Freezing level around 2200m. Thursday: Sunny skies, light winds, and freezing levels skyrocketing to 3500m. Friday: Sunny skies, light winds and freezing levels remaining around 3500m.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were reported in this region on Monday.

Snowpack Summary

Large cornices overhang alpine slopes and may trigger large, destructive avalanches running to valley bottom. Up to 20cm of recent storm snow with moderate northwesterly winds will have created fresh wind slabs on lee aspects in the alpine and open treeline. The late February surface hoar/ crust interface down 80 to 130 cm. is currently dormant, however, a rapid warm up could awaken this sleeping dragon. At low elevations, the snowpack is isothermal.

Regions covered