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Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Feb 3rd, 2020–Feb 4th, 2020

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.

Regions

Kananaskis.

Very good skiing can be found below tree line where the wind has not affected the snow.

Confidence

Moderate -

Weather Forecast

Tuesday: Clear and cold (-23c) in the morning and warming up to -13c in the afternoon. Light flurries developing late afternoon along with moderate NW winds.

Wednesday: Light flurries.

Avalanche Summary

No new avalanches were observed.

Snowpack Summary

2000m and below: Up to a 6cm crust on the surface was formed from the weekend rain that then froze.

2100m to 2300m: The weekend storm left us with up to 35cm of snow that is bonding well to the previous surface. The December 30 surface hoar layer is now down about 55cm and is mostly a facet layer that is starting to round and not producing consistent shears anymore.

2300m and above(alpine): The alpine has extensive wind slabs and storm slabs that will need some more time to heal. This recent slab is now sitting on several other generations of wind slabs that are still visible in the snowpack and have tightened up.

-Good skiing can be found from tree line and below where the wind has not gotten to it. The alpine is grabby on the skis and there is a big concern for cross loaded and lee features.  

Terrain and Travel

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Avoid lee and cross loaded slopes in the alpine.
  • Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.

Problems

Storm Slabs

Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Deep Persistent Slabs

Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.