Kootenay Boundary Avalanche report Dec 03
Weather ForecastThursday: Forecast moderate North to West winds, temperatures should be cold around -10 to -15 deg. C. Likely clear with no snow.
Friday: Forecast moderate West to South West winds, temperatures should be cold in valley bottoms with an inversion possibly bringing alpine temperatures close to 0 deg.C. Small chance of flurries by the evening.
Saturday:Forecast moderate West to South West winds, temperatures should stay cold with a chance of flurries through the day.
Avalanche Activity
Avalanche control with explosives produced limited results at Whitewater. Size 1 surface windslabs are most likely the main issue, triggered both naturally and by humans.
Terrain to Avoid: I would imagine the steep wind exposed slopes at ridgelines would be the places to stay clear of. Other than those isolated pockets of windslab there will be many options for travel until conditions change.
Techniques to Manage Hazard: Make sure your equipment is serviced for the season. Check your beacons for batteries and software updates, make sure your avalanche safety airbags are in good repair with adequate pressure. Invest in an avalanche course or refresher course with friends if you have not done so already.
Snowpack
The snowpack should be settling into a firm block now with the cold temperatures. There is a crust from the last warming cycle that is now buried around 15-30cm. In some places the surface snow has probably been blown into a windslab on exposed steep features. Otherwise the current cold temperatures will be creating facets and surface hoar which only become a problem in the future once buried with more load.