Regions
Kootenay Boundary.
A thin cover of new snow overlies a wide variety of old surfaces. As more snow starts to accumulate, investigate how well it's bonding to the old surface before committing yourself.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
We'll see modest amounts of snow on Sunday, with significant wind transport from the southwest. SUNDAY: Cloudy, flurries. Accumulation 5-15 cm. Ridge wind moderate from the southwest. Temperature -6. Freezing level 600 m.MONDAY: Mostly cloudy, flurries. Accumulation 2-5 cm. Ridge wind moderate from the west. Temperature -3. Freezing level 1000 m.TUESDAY: Snow. Accumulation 15-25 cm. Ridge wind moderate southerly. Freezing level 500 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported.
Snowpack Summary
Approximately 5 cm of new snow has fallen on a variety of old snow surfaces, depending on aspect and elevation. On solar aspects a thin melt-freeze crust has been buried. On northerly aspects, feathery, surface hoar crystals (10-30 mm in length) have been buried below treeline as well as protected areas at treeline. In the alpine the old surface consisted of sugary snow (facets) and hard, wind scoured snow. Below the snow surface the upper snowpack is well settled and overlies a series of late-November crusts, now buried 20-50 cm and 15-25 cm thick. Recent snowpack tests have produced hard, resistant compression test results within the layers of this crust. Below the crust layer the lower snowpack is moist and well settled.
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.