Avalanche Forecast
Kootenay Boundary
Low danger doesn't mean you get to turn off your brain. Normal cautions will help you to manage lingering wind slabs, looming cornices, and the daily cycle of loose wet avalanche conditions.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use extra caution on solar slopes, or if the snow is moist or wet.
- Extra caution needed around cornices with current conditions.
- Be careful around wind loaded pockets near ridge crests and roll-overs.
Avalanche Summary
Several more loose wet avalanches were reported on Tuesday. Explosives control in the Kootenay Pass area produced eight results from size 2-2.5. Another natural size 2 was noted for releasing two hours after the sun had left the slope.
Avalanche activity through the end of last weekend into Monday focused on a natural solar induced loose wet avalanche cycle on south and west aspects in the alpine an treeline to size 2. On Friday reports indicate numerous size 2-2.5 natural and explosive controlled storm snow avalanches running on all aspects in the alpine and at tree line. There were also several skier triggered storm slab avalanche size 1.5-2 both Friday and Saturday on north aspects in the alpine and tree line.
Snowpack Summary
A mix of light rain and wet flurries brought about 7 cm of new snow to the region on Wednesday. Where it arrived as snow, this precipitation buried a moist crust on solar aspects and a new layer of surface hoar on sheltered north aspects.
Last week's snow was redistributed by predominantly west and southwest wind, forming wind slabs at high elevations. On north aspects these older slabs may be sitting on a layer of surface hoar about 25-40 cm below the surface.
A mix of weak layers exists 50-100 cm below the surface, including small surface hoar on shady aspects and a crust on solar aspects. These layers are expected to have gained strength from recent cycles of warming and cooling. Like other deeper weak layers that formed in January and December, they are considered dormant at this time. These deeper layers include several surface hoar and facet layers 1 to 2 m below the surface and a crust/ facet interface near the base of the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
Saturday: Sunny. Light northeast winds. Freezing level to 1800 metres with alpine high temperatures around 0.
Sunday: Cloudy with isolated flurries bringing a trace to 4 cm of new snow. Light southwest winds. Freezing level to 1400 metres with alpine high temperatures around -2.
Monday: Cloudy with continuing light flurries bringing 2-4 cm of new snow. Light southwest winds. Freezing level to 1400 metres with alpine high temperatures around -3.
Avalanche Forecasts in your Inbox
Avalanche Canada has switched to an RSS feed for its daily forecasts. This is a much more flexible method that allows automatic delivery to your email inbox, or to an RSS reader of your choice.
What are RSS feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular standardized file format allowing up-to-date delivery of web-based content. RSS feeds enable you to receive content updates from websites, delivered to your email through an RSS aggregator (such as blogtrottr.com) or viewed through applications called RSS readers (such as feedly.com).
Set up an RSS feed for your email:
Select a RSS aggregator
- Kootenay Boundary URL:
http://www.avalanche.ca/api/forecasts/kootenay-boundary.rss - Copy the url and paste it into the appropriate field of your RSS aggregator.
- Fill in your email address.
- Voila! Watch the Avalanche Canada forecast roll into your inbox.
Forecast Disclaimer
Avalanche Canada's Public Avalanche Bulletin, and other information and services provided by Avalanche Canada, are intended for personal and recreational purposes only.
**THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROVIDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES RESULTING FROM DISCOMFORT, INJURY, OR DEATH, CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES OR FOR OTHER SIMILAR COSTS, OR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE INFORMATION.**
The user acknowledges that it is impossible to accurately predict natural events such as avalanches in every instance, and uses the data in this bulletin with this always foremost in mind. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and the Providers disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use the data.
Isolated wind slabs on high north aspects may overlie weak layers of surface hoar. Loose wet avalanche conditions increase with daytime warming at lower elevations and on south aspects.