Avalanche Forecast
Kootenay Boundary
Recent loading from new snow and wind has added to an already complex and tricky snowpack with several buried weak layers. Best to stick to moderate terrain and avoid wind-loaded areas.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be cautious as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Be careful with wind loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and roll-overs.
- If triggered the storm slabs may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
The snowpack is complex and has produced very large and destructive avalanches on up to four separate weak layers buried 50 to 130cm below the surface. A conservative approach and moderate-angled, simple terrain are good choices.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
Avalanche Summary
Friday there were reports of a few natural, size 1-1.5 storm slab avalanches in steep terrain. Also, two size 1, skier accidentals were triggered in steep terrain within the recent storm snow.
On Thursday ski cuts and explosive control work produced numerous size 1.5-2 storm slab avalanches as well as a size 2.5 and a size 3 that stepped down to the mid-December layer on north to northwest aspects above 2000 m. .
Wednesday there were reports of a skier accidentally triggering a size 1 wind slab on an east aspect at 2000 m that is suspected to have failed on the most recent mid-January surface hoar layer. And a very large whumpf was observed on a northeast aspect at 1800 m that is believed to have been associated with the mid-December layer.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is complex with several buried weak layers of concern that remain active and have produced several recent, large and destructive avalanches.
Approximately 20-40 cm of storm snow now covers the most recent crust/surface hoar layer that was buried mid-January. This crust can be found on solar aspects while surface hoar has been buried on shaded aspects above 1600m. Below this layer lies a second crust/surface hoar interface buried early-January that is now 50-90 cm below the surface.
The mid-December surface hoar layer is buried 100-140 cm below the surface and continues to produce sudden snowpack test results. This spooky layer is most pronounced at treeline, but is also present below treeline.
Two laminated crusts created by rain events in late November lay just below the mid-December interface, and may co-exist with facets. In shallow, rocky terrain the mid-December surface hoar and the late November crust seem to be reacting together which is a volatile combination.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light, southwest. Temperature -6. Freezing level 500 m.
SUNDAY: Flurries. Accumulation 5-15 cm. Ridge wind strong, south. Temperature -3. Freezing level 1200 m.
MONDAY: Flurries. Accumulation 5-10 cm. Ridge wind moderate, southwest. Temperature -4. Freezing level 1200 m.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy, flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light, south. Temperature -5. Freezing level 800 m.
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.
Recent wind and storm snow has formed cohesive slabs, particularly on lee slopes at treeline and above. If triggered these slabs have shown the potential to step down to one or more deeper weak layers buried in the snowpack.