Those venturing into backcountry snow this weekend better know how to read the snow: avalanche danger ratings are increasing as the snow continues to fall on a weakened base.
The Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) said if heavy loading from snow or wind does occur, than the avalanche danger for the Kootenay Boundary is expected to increase.
The Weather Network calls for up to 10 centimetres of snowfall overnight tonight and as of Thursday the risk for avalanche above the alpine and at the tree line sat at considerable, with the risk set at moderate below the tree line.
Reports to the CAC in Revelstoke noted a “Size 1” human-triggered wind slab avalanche occurred Monday on a northeast facing slope near the ridge crest.
Low-density storm snow is “sluffing” readily in steep terrain with a natural cycle of avalanches in some areas of the region’s backcountry. The snow base remains a concern in shallow snow pack areas, the report warned, especially in thin spots where the weakness in the slab above creates the potential for step-down avalanches.