Avalanche Forecast
Kootenay Boundary
The snowpack is complex with buried weak layers being overloaded by recent storm snow. Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
Avalanche Problem 1: Storm Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
- Avoid exposure to overhead avalanche terrain, large avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
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 below the surface.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Be mindful that deep instabilities are still present and have produced recent large avalanches.
- Minimize overhead exposure; avalanches may reach the end of run out zones.
Avalanche Summary
On Tuesday, a couple of natural wind slab avalanches up to size 2.5 from east aspects above 2000 m were reported. Avalanche control, using explosives also triggered numerous persistent slab avalanches up to size 2.5. These were mostly from N-SW aspects above 1900 m. One of these large avalanches stepped down to ground in some places on a early season November crust.
With forecast snow and strong winds expect large natural avalanche activity to continue through the forecast period.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 20 cm of new storm snow accompanied by strong winds adds stress to the upper snowpack. This now brings 90-140 cm of settled snow over two surface hoar/ crust layers that were formed early to mid-January. Digging deeper 160-200 cm sits the mid-December surface hoar layer. All of these persistent weak layers lurk within the snowpack and continue to be reactive, producing large and destructive avalanches.
Near the base of the snowpack exists a crust/ facet interface which could be triggered by a step down avalanche, cornice failure, thin to thick spot triggering by people or reaching its threshold with new load from above.
The snowpack is extremely complex and requires respect and diligence at this time.
Weather Forecast
Thursday: New snow 10-25 cm by early afternoon. Ridgetop winds strong from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near -5 with freezing levels 1600 m.
Friday: Mix of sun and cloud with alpine temperatures near -10 and freezing levels at valley bottom. Ridgetop winds light from the north.
Saturday: Mostly clear with no forecast snow. Alpine temperatures near -10 and ridgetop winds light from the northeast.
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New storm slabs will be reactive and could step down to deeper layers initiating large and destructive avalanches.