Avalanche Forecast
Kootenay Boundary
Forecast snow amounts vary through the region. If your local riding area receives less then 25 cm of new snow please consider the danger rating to be CONSIDERABLE on Wednesday.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use conservative route selection, choose moderate angled and supported terrain with low consequence.
- Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
Avalanche Problem 2: Persistent Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
The snowpack is complex and continues to produce very large avalanches on several weak layers buried 80 to 150 cm below the surface. Moderate-angled, simple terrain selection remains critical to safe mountain travel.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Minimize overhead exposure; avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- Good day to make conservative terrain choices.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity is ongoing through the region. On Monday, several natural storm slab avalanches and skier triggered avalanches up to size 2.5 were reported. These avalanches were mostly seen from NNE-E aspects above 1900 m. There was one deep persistent slab that pulled as a natural size 3.5. It ran full path to a historical run-out through 15 m worth of mature timber. This was reported from a east aspect at 2100-2300 m, running 900 m in length and up to 400 m wide.
Looking forward with forecast snow and wind, expect newly formed storm slabs and the persistent slabs beneath them to remain reactive to human triggers with the potential for very large and destructive avalanches.
Snowpack Summary
Recent storm snow totals vary from 25-50 cm and the winds created reactive wind slabs at tree line and above. Forecast storm snow amounts vary but the region will see significant amounts by Thursday, adding stress to the underlying and very complex snowpack.
Deeper in the snowpack, surface hoar and/or a crust from mid-January is buried beneath all the storm snow at 90-120cm deep. This interface has been reactive and this interface remains a concern. Below this layer lies a second crust/surface hoar interface buried early-January that is now 120-140 cm deep. Recent avalanches have stepped down to this layer and it should remain on your radar.
The mid-December surface hoar layer is buried 130-170 cm below the surface. This layer has continued to produce step down releases and "sudden" test results. It is most pronounced at tree line and below treeline and has remains reactive especially in steeper, unsupported convex terrain features.
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Snow amounts 10-15 cm with alpine temperatures near -4. Ridgetop winds moderate from the west and freezing levels near 1500 m.
Thursday: Snow amounts up to 30 cm accompanied by strong west winds. Freezing levels near 1500 m.
Friday: mix of sun and cloud with freezing levels falling to valley bottom. Alpine temperatures near -12.
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.
Storm slabs will continue to build and be reactive with forecast new snow and strong winds.