Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Feb 28 – Mar 1, 2015Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 12 years ago

Avalanche danger

Mon
Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The "LOW" rating does not rule out all avalanche potential. Avalanches are possible in extreme terrain and on some isolated features.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    1–2
    Variable wind slabs are found in the Alpine. Dense slabs are quite common near ridge crest. In most cases a series of multiple slabs are "laminated" together. Inspect these surfaces as you travel.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely - Possible
    Size
    2–4
    The weak basal layers are still prominent in the forecast area. The probability of triggering this deep weakness is low, but the resulting avalanches could be very large. Large triggers such as cornices could trigger this weakness.

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

Sunday should be a mostly sunny day with light west winds. Temperatures should climb to near -9 in the Alpine. Light snowfalls are expected on Monday as a cold front pushes through and brings below seasonal temperatures.

Avalanche Summary

Nothing new.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack is highly variable across the forecast region, but some common themes include: widespread wind effect and wind slabs in the Alpine and open areas at Treeline, and various layers of crust found on all aspects below 2000m and much higher on solar aspects. The weak basal layers remain a fixture of the snowpack throughout the region and full depth avalanches are still an outside possibility in certain terrain features. Large triggers such as cornices are the main concern in this respect. Solar input at this time of year is becoming significant, and is causing melt freeze cycles on steeper solar slopes. The extent of these melting periods is variable from day to day depending on climatic conditions.

Regions covered