Bulletin d’avalanche

Kootenay Boundary

Mar 17 – 18, 2026Avalanche Canada
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Archivé · expiré 7 months ago

Danger d’avalanche

Thu
Fri
Alpin
3 · Marqué
Limite forestière
3 · Marqué
Sous la limite
3 · Marqué

Points saillants

Conditions are variable across the region.

Warm temperatures and mixed precipitation are creating dangerous avalanche conditions.

Choose only simple terrain with no overhead hazards.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    2–3

    At upper elevations, where the crust is thinner or not present, it may still be possible to trigger persistent slabs on multiple buried weak layers of surface hoar and/or crusts in the top 120 cm of the snowpack.

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Likely
    Taille
    1–2

    New snow has incrementally accumulated with up to 30 cm sitting over previously wind affected surfaces. As temperatures remain elevated storm slabs will consolidate and may become more reactive throughout the day.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Likely
    Taille
    1–2

    Rising freezing levels and rain will soften surface snow. Steep terrain at treeline and below are likely areas to trigger.

Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain about how the timing or intensity of warming will affect the snowpack.

Avalanche Summary

On Monday, A skier remote triggered a size 2 storm slab north of Nelson.

Numerous storm slabs were reported that were human and naturally triggered. Sizes ranged from size 1 to 2.

Snowpack Summary

Variable surface conditions including, moist snow, crusts breaking down, and wind affected snow.

A crust buried early in March is down roughly 50 cm on all aspects. The thickness of the crust depends on elevation.

At upper elevations, where the crust is thinner or not present, it may still be possible to trigger persistent slabs on multiple buried weak layers of surface hoar and/or crusts in the top 120 cm of the snowpack.

The mid/lower snowpack is well settled and strong in most areas.

Weather Summary

Tuesday Night
Cloudy. 10 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Wednesday
Cloudy. 2 to 4 mm of rain at treeline. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.

Thursday
Cloudy. 5 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.

Friday
Cloudy. 20 to 35 mm of rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 4 °C. Freezing level 2800 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Make conservative terrain choices and avoid overhead hazard.
  • Watch for signs of instability like whumpfing, hollow sounds, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
  • Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
  • As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
  • Loose avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.

Régions couvertes