Avalanche Forecast
Kootenay Boundary
Surface instabilities and cornice hazards should be firmly on your radar as you travel. Expect stability to deteriorate over the course of each day.
This is our last regular forecast of the season and will expire on April 25.
Avalanche Problem 1: Loose Wet
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Use caution above cliffs and terrain traps where small avalanches may have severe consequences.
- Minimize exposure to steep, sun exposed slopes when the solar radiation is strong.
Avalanche Problem 2: Cornices
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Warming and solar radiation may also cause large cornices to fail. Cornice failures may be dangerous by themselves, but they could also trigger a large avalanche on the slope below.
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
- Avoid areas with overhead hazard.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported although there was likely a round of wind slab activity on Saturday in response to Friday night's snow and wind. The new snow will likely be quick to settle and gain strength in the coming days. With that said, loose wet avalanches and cornice falls are expected with warming and solar radiation forecast for this week. Although less likely, warming may also trigger unexpectedly deep and destructive slab avalanches failing on weaknesses which formed earlier in the season.
Snowpack Summary
A new surface crust is likely to exist on all but north aspects in the high alpine and is expected to undergo melt-freeze cycles with daily warming and overnight cooling. Below the surface, new snow and wind from Friday night and Saturday formed relatively small wind slabs in upper elevation lee terrain. Depending on aspect and elevation, the new snow likely overlies a melt-freeze crust or settled storm snow from earlier in the week.
Numerous other melt-freeze crusts exist in the upper snowpack from rain, sun, and warming during the spring season.
The mid and lower snowpack are generally well-settled and strong; however, weaknesses deep within the snowpack have the potential to 'wake-up' in isolated terrain with forecast warming and solar radiation, or with a large cornice trigger.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Sunny. LIght south winds, moderate at ridgetop. Freezing level to 3400 metres. Alpine high temperatures around +8. Weak overnight cooling.
Wednesday: Sunny. Light northwest winds. Freezing level rising from about 2700 to 3500 metres by evening. Alpine high temperatures around +9.
Thursday: Sunny. Light south winds. Freezing level to 3700 metres with alpine high temperatures around +11.
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.
Warming and solar radiation over the next few days are expected to trigger loose wet avalanches, especially in steep, sun-exposed terrain. Loose wet avalanches can be pushy and entrain mass quickly.