Avalanche forecast

Kananaskis

Dec 1 – 2, 2014Alberta Parks
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Archived · expired 12 years ago

Avalanche danger

Wed
Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Natural avalanche activity has tapered off, but human-triggering remains a concern. It is still early season and the snowpack is weak and shallow, so be mindful of hazards such as rock and stumps.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    1–4
    Wind slab development continues. Expect to find these slabs in lee and cross-loaded features at Alpine and Treeline elevations. These slabs remain sensitive to human triggering.

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible - Likely
    Size
    2–4
    An avalanche that is initiated in the upper snowpack could step down to the basal weak layers.

Confidence

Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations

Weather Forecast

Cool temps and windy conditions will persist until later on Tuesday when alpine areas should reach -10 celsius. Wednesday will see a high of -5 celsius with light to moderate westerly winds. No precipitation is expected for at least the next 5 days.

Avalanche Summary

Natural avalanche activity has tapered off significantly. Avalanche control on EEOR today produced several size 1.5 slab avalanches. Propagation of these slabs was limited, but most did step down to the basal layers.

Snowpack Summary

The snowpack continues to settle. Wind prone areas at treeline and above have experienced extensive wind effect and significant wind slab development, and this condition will likely continue overnight Monday and into Tuesday. The November rain crust remains prominent at the base of the snowpack and is a layer of concern.

Regions covered