Kananaskis

Snow over the past week has been redistributed onto lee features by strong westerly winds. Its been a snowy year thus far, but also a windy one. Watch for thin areas where this snowpack is weak and it may be easier to trigger the deeper layers.

No new avalanches were observed on Thursday but field observations were limited.

Recent snow has been transported around at treeline and above by strong westerly winds creating windslabs 40-60cm thick in lee features. As you transition into these areas be looking for these problems. These windslabs are overlying a generally well settled snowpack

The deep persistent weakness is buried deep in the snowpack down 150-170cm. This layer was active as recently as last week bring trigerred from a thin shallow snowpack area. Always be curious about snowpack depths and be thinking how the snow has been moved around creating thin areas.

Friday will bring a mix of sun and cloud with a daytime high are -6C. Winds will continue in the moderate range out of the west.

https://hpfx.collab.science.gc.ca/~fsg006/productviewer/ab/table/AB_Rockies_Forecast.html

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.
• Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.