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</style><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">The Kootenays have received over a metre of snow over the past week, with Kootenay Pass seeing the highest amount regionally. Regardless, current surfaces most likely include varying amounts of fairly low density storm snow which override wind slabs that formed earlier in the week. Below the recent storm snow exists a surface hoar layer that was buried at the end of November. Recent tests on this layer show CTM (SP) down 100 cm sliding on </span><a id='GoToAdded' href="http://www.fsavalanche.org/Encyclopedia/surface_hoar.htm" target="_blank"><span class="s_B5813F7D">surface hoar 4-10 mm </span></a><span class="s_3FE45715">in size.</span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715">Near the base of the snowpack sits the early November rain crust. This layer is most likely to be found in deeper snowpack areas at higher elevations. I'm not aware of any activity on this layer in the KB region; however, deep and destructive releases have been observed in the South Columbia region (directly to the north). Keep this on your radar, especially when traveling in areas at higher elevations that have a smooth ground cover where the existing crust is uniform and consistent. </span><span class="s_AA239A9B"><br /></span><span class="s_3FE45715">Average snowpack depths at treeline are 130-200 cm. There are significant variations in snowpack structure from one drainage to another. In short, digging down and making your own observations will be critical to safe slope selection. </span></p><p class="p_CC664AAA"><span class="s_3FE45715"> </span></p>