Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Apr 8 – 9, 2017Alberta Parks
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

New snow is expected for tonight & tomorrow. Even so, watch for a "greenhouse" effect with the variable cloud cover. This solar input could rapidly destabilize the snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Expect to encounter these slabs along ridgelines and in crossloaded features in Alpine terrain.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–2
    Cloud cover and cooler temps should keep this problem to a minimum. If the sun makes an appearance, even for a few minutes, expect a rapid melting of any snow. Steep solar slopes below treeline are the most susceptible to loose wet slides.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    Renew your respect for this layer as the new loading ramps up. We are unsure of how it will handle any additional load. Alpine wind loading and cornice failure is particularly concerning.

Confidence

High -

Weather Forecast

Scattered flurries tonight with up to 9cm expected. Tomorrow will see another 11cm hopefully. Alpine winds will be light for the next 24hours. Tomorrow's freezing levels will creep up to 1900m with mostly cloud cover. The cooling trend will continue for the next few days.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new today (as of 1300hrs), but loose wet avalanches were likely at low elevations or steep solar slopes later in the day.

Snowpack Summary

Last night saw up to 7cm of new snow across the forecast region. Higher temperatures than expected today quickly settled that new snow. In general, the snowpack lost 2cm in height, but lower elevations likely lost more than that. Late afternoon heat made for moist snow up to 2300m, and higher on solar aspects. Despite the warm weather, snow was wind blown in the alpine. Pockets of windslabs will continue to grow as the winds keep up. The new slabs will be somewhat random in terms of aspect and location. Winds appeared to be variable. A few cornice collapses were noted today with cornice growth ongoing.

Regions covered