Avalanche forecast

Kootenay Boundary

Dec 23 – 24, 2011Avalanche Canada
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–3
    Watch out for wind slabs below ridge crests, behind terrain breaks, and in cross-loaded gullies.

Confidence

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Monday

Weather Forecast

Saturday: Light snowfall with the freezing level at valley bottom. Moderate-strong westerly winds.Sunday/Monday: Weak disturbances could bring further light snowfall. Expect freezing levels to hover between 1100m and valley bottom. Strong south-westerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

Recent reports include isolated human triggered Size 1 thin soft wind slab avalanches running on large surface hoar, on south through east facing treeline slopes.

Snowpack Summary

Recently developed surface hoar and near-surface facets are likely to get gently buried by light snowfall over the next few days, potentially creating a weak interface which could become reactive with enough new load from snow and/or wind-transport.In the meantime, the snowpack is relatively well bonded, except for buried surface hoar layers in the upper 15cm (with sudden test results on these layers in some locations) and soft and hard wind-slabs on certain slopes in the alpine and around treeline. Facets at the base of the snowpack could create a deep persistent slab problem that deserves attention in shallow snowpack areas on planar rocky slopes.

Regions covered