Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Nov 29th, 2022–Nov 30th, 2022

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Alpine

Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.

Below Treeline

Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis, Bow Valley, Highwood Pass, North 40, Spray - KLakes.

Snow is expected on Wednesday along with South winds. Expect wind slab formation over a weak snowpack. Skier triggering is likely. Conservative route finding is still in order.

Confidence

Moderate

Avalanche Summary

With the clear skies today, there is more evidence of a small cycle of loose/dry avalanches up to size 2 that most likely occurred on Sunday and Monday. There is less so evidence of slab avalanches. One size 1.5 loose/dry was observed in cliffy terrain at noon in the Goat range.

Snowpack Summary

We generally have a weak snowpack with the base consisting of 40cm of facets. This is quite different than the last couple of years for early season.

There is approximately 30-40cm of storm snow that consists mostly of loose dry snow, along with some wind slab formation on lee features. Wednesday is forecast to bring an additional 10cm. This interface between the new and old snow(facets) will continue to be a concern for triggering, especially with more snow forecast on Wednesday.

Weather Summary

Flurries will begin overnight and bring up to 10cm of snow on Wednesday. Temperatures will start out at -20c and expected to rise to a balmy -13c. Winds in the alpine will blow at 60km/h from the South.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

Loose avalanches may start small but they can grow and push you into dangerous terrain.
Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Ice climbers should be equipped with avalanche safety gear.

Problems

Loose Dry

Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.