Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 15th, 2014 11:58AM

The alpine rating is high, the treeline rating is high, and the below treeline rating is considerable. Known problems include Persistent Slabs and Wind Slabs.

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Up to 30cm of new snow is forecast to fall with strong westerly winds. Watch for increasing avalanche danger throughout the day on Sunday.

Summary

Confidence

Fair - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday

Weather Forecast

A system is expected to cross over the region tonight and into the day tomorrow. Up to 30cm of new snow is forecast to fall with strong westerly winds.

Avalanche Summary

No new natural avalanche activity.

Snowpack Summary

Not much change over the course of the day today. Melt freeze crusts on solar aspects to the peaks, and widespread temperatures crusts below 1900m. Most alpine terrain is wind affected with widespread wind slabs and isolated wind slabs at treeline. The 0211 interface is down 70-100cm at treeline and continues to produce moderate to hard shears that are sudden planar in nature.

Problems

Persistent Slabs

This persistent weak layer is buried 70 to 100cm in Alpine and Treeline areas and is sensitive to human triggering.

Choose the deepest and strongest snowpack areas on your run.>Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East, South, South West.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 5

Wind Slabs

New wind slabs will build with the incoming storm. Carefully evaluate the bond with the new snow and the underlying surface. The previous windslabs that developed earlier in the week will be hard to see under the new snow so use caution.

Choose well supported terrain without convexities.>Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

1 - 4

Valid until: Mar 16th, 2014 2:00PM