Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Jan 25th, 2013 8:25AM

The alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low. Known problems include Storm Slabs and Wind Slabs.

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

5cm of snow throughout the day giving us 18-20cm of new snow at treeline and above. Thin touchy storm slabs are being encountered in Alpine areas and making thin weak areas tougher to see. The skiing is improving but still a ways to go yet!

Summary

Confidence

Good

Weather Forecast

No new snow is forecast for the weekend but some much needed new snow is expected on Monday! The weekend is still looking dry and cloudy though with some light scattered flurries and temperatures around -14 at treeline.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanche observations were seen. Field teams spent the majority of the day in the Ghost working on a rescue scenario.

Snowpack Summary

Thin touchy storm slabs are building in Alpine terrain with the recent storm snow. These slabs are overlying the previous hard slabs that developed earlier in the week. Thin weak areas surround the lens of hard slabs making them tougher to locate. Wide propagations are likely due to the stiff nature of the overlying slab.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Thin touchy storm slabs are being encountered at TL and above in immediate lee terrain. This new snow is making the thin areas surround last weeks hard slabs tougher to located.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>

Aspects: North, North East, East.

Elevations: Alpine.

Likelihood

Likely - Very Likely

Expected Size

1 - 3

Wind Slabs

30-40cm thick windslabs are being encountered on N to E aspects at treeline and above. Thin weak snowpack areas surrounding these lens of slabs are the typical trigger point so be heads up in thin snowpack areas. Wide propagations are likely.

Avoid convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.>Be aware of the potential for wide propagations due to the presence of hard windslabs.>

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

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 4

Valid until: Jan 26th, 2013 2:00PM