Kananaskis

Strong winds created widespread windslabs in open alpine areas. Be cautious as you move into increasingly wind affected areas. Good skiing in sheltered terrain. 

Saturday is destined to have a wintery feel with 5-10cm of snow forecast, cloudy skies and day time highs of -5C. Winds will diminsh slightly into the 40km/hr range at ridgetops out of the SW.  

Numerous loose dry avalanches out of steep terrain up to sz 2. No new slab avalanche activity was noted. 

The close to 30cm snow that fell recently is beginning to be moved around by the winds creating windslabs in the upper elevations and even isoalted areas at treeline. THese slabs are 20-40cm thick and failing at the recent storm snow interface. On northern aspects this snow is overlying a winter snowpack while on E, S and W aspects this snow is overlying a melt freeze crust developed earlier in the week. The bond on these two layers differs so be sure to check this interface. At treeline, again forecasters got a few large settlements in treeline areas on southern aspects where the snowpack was wet and isothermal.  

• Avoid steep convex slopes.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.