Kananaskis

New snow and persistent strong winds have raised the avalanche danger. Stick to conservative terrain and avoid overhead hazard.

Thursday should bring a mix of sun and cloud with winds out of the SW at 80km/h. Temperatures are expected to reach -4 in the Alpine. Friday and Saturday look snowy with as much as 25cm falling over the course of those two days.

Given the recent intense wind loading, there has been a surprising lack of natural avalanche activity. The snowpack is nearing a tipping point, and a natural avalanche cycle is expected to begin in the near future.

Another 15cm of new snow in past 24 hours brings recent storm snow totals to near 45cm. Extreme westerly winds have stripped west aspects down to bare rock and redistributed significant amounts of snow on N, NE and E aspects. Expect extensive wind slab development on lee and cross-loaded features. These slabs could easily be 100cm deep in places. Human triggering is very likely and a natural avalanche cycle is a real possibility in the next couple of days.

• Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of strong wind.
• Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to the presence of a deep persistent slab.
• Minimize exposure during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
• Avoid lee and cross-loaded slopes at and above treeline.
• Use conservative route selection. Choose simple, low-angle, well-supported terrain with no overhead hazard.
• Use extra caution around cornices: they are large, fragile, and can trigger slabs on slopes below.