Kootenay Boundary

A hard melt-freeze crust extends to mountain top, decreasing the likelihood of avalanche activity. Continue to practice safe travel techniques, such as giving cornices a wide berth.

High

• We are confident due to a stable weather pattern.
• The snowpack structure is well understood.

On Monday, numerous small to large (max size 2) wet loose avalanches were reported, both natural and human triggered. These were caused by sun and rapid daytime warming.

With treeline temperatures expected to stay below 0 °C for around 24 hours, we expect that the sun and rising temperatures on Wednesday will not have the same effect.

Please consider sharing your observations to the MIN.

A hard melt-freeze crust exists to mountain top. Another thick crust from mid-March is buried 30 to 40 cm deep. These crusts make triggering any deeper layers unlikely.

The mid and lower snowpack is strong in most areas. Snowpack depth tapers rapidly at lower elevations.

Tuesday Night

Clear skies. 30-50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind, decreasing to 10-25 km/h by the morning. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level falling to around 1300 m.

Wednesday

Sunny. 10-25 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline high 1 °C. Freezing level rising to 2200 m.

Thursday

Sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.

Friday

Sunny. 10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• The snowpack is generally stable; it may be appropriate to step out into more complex terrain.
• Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
• Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when traveling on or below ridges.