Kootenay Boundary

Watch the temperature and solar warming! Heat and cornices are two great ways to shake-up the snowpack over the next couple of days.

Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain

Thursday night and Friday: Light flurries with a mix of sun and cloud / Light to moderate northwest winds / Freezing level at 800mSaturday: Flurries with a mix of sun and cloud / Light to moderate northwest winds / Freezing level at 800mSunday: Flurries with a mix of sun and cloud / Light to moderate northwest winds / Freezing level at 1200m

Although observations were limited, I expect there would have been a round of storm slab activity in response to new snow and wind on Thursday. Looking forward, forecast sunshine may spark a loose wet avalanche cycle.

In general about 35cm of new snow fell on Thursday adding to an existing storm slab which formed last weekend. Wind data was scarce on Thursday, although I suspect the new snow exists as a wind slab in exposed lee terrain. Below the recent storm snow you may find weak surface hoar in shaded terrain and a crust on previously sun-exposed slopes. About 60cm below the surface you'll find a strong rain crust which exists on all aspects below 2000m. This crust is widespread in the south of the region where heavy rain fell on March 10. As you head north in the region where the mountains are higher and colder temperatures persisted, this crust is less likely to exist.A facet/crust persistent weakness buried at the beginning of February, now down 70 to 160cm, has been highly variable in terms of reactivity but still shows 'sudden' results in some snowpack tests. In areas where the strong and supportive near surface crust exists, triggering this layer has become unlikely. That said, this layer is still difficult to trust and any avalanche at these deeper, persistent interfaces would be large and destructive.,